As It Seems
by KaitlinXandXKelsey
Summary: When Emma files for custody of Henry, Regina's life begins to unravel and Emma has to decide whether or not everything about Regina is as it seems, and whether or not to pick up the pieces... SwanQueen co-authored fic! Lots of Drama Fairytale flashbacks, and SQ smut included! XD Please R & R!
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hi everyone! This is a co-authored fic by myself (Kelsey) and my best friend Kaitlin, who I finally corrupted and got her hooked on ONCE! We're gonna be alternating chapters and (hopefully) updates will be pretty frequent this way! Fairytale Land flashbacks included are in Bold Italics and are separated so hopefully it won't be as confusing! This is an eventual SwanQueen fic, sooo don't like it? Don't read it. We LOVE LOVE LOVE Reviews and are super excited for this fic and we hope you all enjoy it as well! _

* * *

_Well in this life you must find something to live for_  
_Cause when the darkness comes a callin'_  
_You'll go back to where you were before..._

Regina fixed her navy blue dress as she walked down the curved staircase. She really didn't know what to do with herself anymore. She'd stepped down as mayor, but 28 years of routine dies hard, and she found herself awake and in the shower by six a.m.

She looked around the empty house in despair because in her efforts to win Henry back she'd allowed him to choose when he wanted to stay with her and now... she hadn't seen him in a week. She made herself a meager breakfast of a single English muffin and orange juice and sat in the dining room lonely and to put it bluntly, bored.

She chewed on the bland muffin absentmindedly, thinking of how it felt to be alone… again. She'd been in a similar situation almost eleven years ago before she'd had Henry. But… even then she'd had Graham for some company. Now she had no one.

She sighed, dropping the muffin down onto the plate in aggravation._ I did the right thing. I saved them!_ She thought bitterly as tears began to form in the inner corners of her eyes. _And I have nothing, NOTHING to show for it!_ She failed to see the appeal of being the "good guy" anymore. She'd thought maybe, just maybe this would be a turning point for her, something that would make her life better, that this would be the way to have her happy ending.

As she rinsed her dishes in the sink, preparing to put them in the dishwasher she heard the doorbell ring. Confused, she walked to the door. After opening it, she really wished she hadn't.

"Can I help you Miss Swan?" She asked coolly. While she'd been genuinely glad she'd been able to save Emma and Mary Margaret for Henry's sake, it was just that. For Henry's sake… it didn't mean they were friends.

"Uh, yeah. I'm here to deliver these to you." Emma said uncomfortably handing her an envelope.

"What's this?" Regina asked, not taking the envelope she offered, crossing her arms defiantly.

"It's court papers Regina." Emma said, taking a deep breath, as if preparing herself for a battle.

"Why on Earth are you bringing me court documents?" Regina asked stiffly, placing one hand on the door frame. She felt the hairs on her neck stand on end, and could practically feel her eyes glaze over with ice.

"Because I'm the Sheriff… And you've been served." Emma said boldly, thrusting the envelope into Regina's empty hand, before turning on her heels and quickly heading for the gate.

Regina's jaw dropped in rage and shock. _Who the hell did that Bitch think she was?_ She felt the passionate urge of magic course through her and bit her tongue until she tasted blood to not use it. She fisted the envelope angrily, slamming the door behind her. She stomped up the stairs to her bedroom where she promptly ripped open the envelope and felt her heart crumble into a thousand pieces...

* * *

_**"I'm sorry your majesty but I don't think—" the healer began.**_

_**"JUST. Tell. Me." Regina spat. This was the fifth time the King had arranged this appointment. She was feeling the crushing pressure to give him a male heir and it was wearing on her nerves. **_

_**"Regina, my dear. Let the kind lady speak." King Leopold said, placing a calming hand on her shoulder as she laid on the table, her feet in the leather stirrups. **_

_**Regina sighed, "I'm sorry, please excuse my rudeness."**_

_**The lady faltered a little bit, before removing the magic wand from her aching uterus. She'd been here for hours, letting this woman poke around inside her to determine whether or not she was indeed pregnant. **_

_**"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you are still not with child, Your Majesty… I'm sorry. It—You might be…" the lady stopped, darting her eyes to her feet. **_

_**"Might be what?!" Regina cried, unable to take the woman's incessant need to beat around the bush.**_

_**"Regina…" The King warned, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.**_

_**"Well, it doesn't do anyone any good to prolong this! She should come right out with it!" Regina protested, angry tears burning her eyes. "I just want to be done with this! It hurts!" She cried, it hurt in more than just physical pain. It hurt to constantly be under the pressure of producing an heir to an entire kingdom. It hurt to be constantly made to give herself to the king to consummate such an heir. IT hurt to see the disappointment on his face after every one of these visits. It hurt to be subjected to hours of a magical wand sensing around inside her to determine if she was finally with child. She'd just had enough.**_

_**"I'm afraid her majesty might be… barren." The woman all but whispered. Regina let her head fall back onto the table in dismay. She felt the king's hand slide from her shoulder as he thanked the woman for her time and sent her away.**_

_**Regina squeezed her eyes shut and felt the hot tear slide down her face. It wasn't like she'd wanted his child, but she thought maybe… a child would give him what he wanted. That maybe he would grow to love her like he'd loved his last wife. And now she knew, that was a pipe dream, hollow and empty, much like her. **_

_**She would never have a child…**_

* * *

Regina read the papers in her hands again. She must've read them wrong. Her eyes were so blurry with angry tears she couldn't be sure.

Custody papers. Emma Swan had filed for custody of her son. HER ONLY CHILD. She let out a scream and ripped the papers throwing them across the room in utter rage. She reached for the nearest breakable object, a small mirror on her nightstand, and threw it against the wall. She reveled in the sound of the shattering glass.

Her son, the only thing she loved in this world was going to be ripped from her.

She took a deep breath and looked into the full length closet mirror, composing her face into a steely glare.

_Over my dead bod_y, she thought coldly, picking up a shard of broken mirror and gripping it tightly.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This is chapter two written by Kaitlin, and the goofball forgot to add her Authors Note and since Im posting the first 2 chapters simultaneously, I thought I'd clarify! Please PLEASE review if you read! We appreciate them so much!

* * *

**_Well I knew_**  
**_What I didn't want to know_**  
**_And I saw_**  
**_Where I didn't want to go..._**

* * *

"Sorry for the stop Henry," Emma apologized, as she climbed back into her car.

"Why'd you have to talk to my mom?" Henry asked curiously, as Emma started her quirky yellow Bug.

"I just had to drop off some paperwork for her," Emma said quickly, anxious to change the subject. However, Henry's mind was whirring with questions.

"About what?" He asked.

"You know," Emma said shrugging, "the important kind."

"The...important kind?" Henry asked skeptically, with a raised eyebrow.

"The top secret kind, you big snoop," Emma said rolling her eyes, as she ruffled his hair with a chuckle.

"I'll find out, Emma," Henry said, "Anyone that can pull of a stunt as big as Operation Cobra, can investigate a little paper work," he added matter of factly.

"Oh, is that so?" Emma teased. Henry nodded, and turned on the radio. The sat quietly, enjoying the music and each other's company, as Emma drove down the familiar road to Henry's school. Emma thought about the anger on Regina's face when Emma had handed her the envelope that consisted of the Request for Custody documents that Emma had acquired earlier that week. Though she had truly, more than anything, wanted to have custody of Henry, it had taken Emma a week to convince herself that it was right for Henry, and to bring it over to Regina. And although Henry's safety and happiness was her first priority, she had stopped to consider Regina's feelings. It had crossed Emma's mind that these papers might break the cold woman. Emma had tossed and turned, several nights in a row, hardly getting any sleep, wondering how this would affect the former mayor, but in the end, what was best for Henry won out.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Henry asked Emma, seeing her biting her lip, and gripping the steering wheel.

"Wha- oh... Nothing," Emma said, loosening her grip on the wheel, and leaning back in her seat.

"Are you okay?" Henry wondered, tilting his head, studying Emma's facial expressions.

"I'm fine," Emma nodded.

"You sure?" He asked, dragging out the 'sure.'

"Yes, I'm sure!" Emma exclaimed, "What's with all the questions and the psychoanalysis, kid? Are you thinking of being a therapist like Archie?"

"I'm trying to do that 'magic power' thing you do, where you read people,to tell if they're lying," Henry admitted.

"It is magic," Emma insisted.

"No it's not. Magic is real. But I'm not five, Emma," Henry said very seriously.

"Oh. Excuuuuse me," Emma teased.

"Archie said I'm getting good at it, anyways," Henry added.

"I'm sure you are. But you can practice on the kids at school. Let's not practice on me," Emma suggested. There's too much shit going on in my head to read, anyways, Emma thought to herself.

They went back to their comfortable silence.

"Hey Henry?" Emma asked.

"Yeah," he replied, looking up at her.

"How come you don't want to go visit Regina?"

"Now you're asking a lot of questions."

Emma gave him a playful glare, "I'm serious, kid."

Henry shrugged, "I just like hanging out with you better."

"She's your mom, kid," _for now_...she thought, almost regretfully.

"I know...but so are you," he said. He sighed in frustration.

"What is it?" Emma asked.

"I want to be with you both...I don't know...it just stinks sometimes," he said sadly. That crushed Emma's heart.

"I'm sorry, kid...I know it's hard," Emma said, biting her lip again. Henry stared at his lap quietly as Emma pulled up to his school. She gave a wave to Mary Margaret, who gave a gentle smile back, and continued walking around the playground, greeting children who were being dropped off by their parents.

"When I pick you up this afternoon, I think we should continue this conversation. I think Friday night you should spend the night at Regina's, and maybe spend Saturday with her," Emma suggested.

"But that's tomorrow!" Henry exclaimed, "That's so soon!"

"You've been with me all week," Emma reminded him, "But don't worry about it now. We'll talk about this later. Granny's after school?" Emma said gently.

"Deal," Henry said with a small smile.

"Have a good day," Emma said smiling back.

"Bye," he said, leaning over the console to hug her. Emma felt butterflies flutter in her stomach, at the feeling of being hugged by Henry, as he climbed out of the car. He waved one last time, and ran off, to greet Mary Margaret, or Snow, as she was referred to recently, now that the curse was broken.

There was something about the fact that Henry might be her little boy again, that made her feel high with joy. But at the same time, she felt a pang in her heart as she thought about his confliction between herself and Regina. He loved them both, and he didn't want to choose. They didn't want to make him choose, but it seemed like that was what it had come down to...

She thought about seeing Regina this morning. As she had handed over the envelope, it was almost as if Regina knew what was coming. Emma remembered the fear in Regina's eyes, covered by the outer layer of anger, when Regina had taken the big manila envelope. Regina hadn't seemed all that surprised. She had screwed up big time, and now she was paying for it. Emma thought about Regina again. That woman pissed her off. But at the same time, she felt bad for her. Emma didn't know much about Regina, but Henry had once told her that she hadn't always been cold and distant. She hadn't always been an evil queen.

* * *

_"Wanna help me decorate the Christmas tree, Henry?" Emma asked, as Henry entered the apartment she shared with Mary Margaret._

_"Doesn't Miss Blanchard want to?" He asked._

_"No she has a cold, so she's upstairs sleeping, and she asked me to do it for her," Emma explained._

_"Oh. Then sure! I want to help," He agreed excitedly. So they made themselves busy, lugging boxes from a closet in the apartment filled with lights and ornaments. Emma put on some Christmas music, and the pair danced quietly around the apartment, singing and pulling out ornaments._

_"The Christmas when I was five, me and my mom decorated a tree," Henry said randomly, as he hung an ornament._

_"Oh yeah?" Emma asked._

_"Yeah. At the time, we had this stupid, fat cat, Walter. Anyways, when we finished decorating the tree, we went to plug in the lights, and it was the only set we had, by the way," he explained, "and the lights didn't work. My mom said it was because one of the lights must have been broken, and when one was broken, none of them worked. So she picked me up and I started checking each light, from the top of the tree to the bottom, looking for the broken one, so we could replace it. We must have gone around the tree 15 times!" Henry exclaimed, "and finally when we got to the very very bottom of the tree, I found the broken light. The stupid cat sat on it and broke it! So we went to go get Walter's crate to put him in it so we could finish decorating, and when we came back, he had eaten the replacement lights!" Henry exclaimed._

_"Oh my god, was he okay?" Emma asked surprised._

_"Oh yeah. He pooped it out a few days later. He was fine," Henry said with a shrug. "Anyways, we didn't have any lights for our trees, and this was the year that Storybrooke had this HUGE snow storm, and we were snowed in and everything was closed so there was nowhere to get lights. So we went around the house and got all the short little candles we could find, and then we grabbed a bunch of mason jars, you know, with the little handles on the lid, and we put a candle in each. Mom had a lot of jars because whenever she made apple jam, she put them in there. Anyways, we lit the candles, and hung the jars with them all around the tree. It was the most beautiful Christmas tree ever. Probably looked better than it would've with the lights," Henry murmured, his voice trailing away as he got lost in thought, reminiscing about the happy memory of his mother._

_When the tree was finally covered in beautiful ornaments, and pretty lights, they stepped back._

_"I'm gonna shut off the light. You can plug in the Christmas lights in to the wall right there," Emma directed._

_"Okay!" He exclaimed. So she shut off the living room light._

_"Go!" She told him. He plugged the lights into the outlet and the tree lit up. It was perfect._

_They made hot chocolate, and sat next to each other on the couch._

_"Why'd you tell me that story?" Emma asked, "Not that I didn't enjoy the story," she added._

_"So you'd know that she's not all evil. We had good times, too," Henry said quietly, sipping his hot chocolate._

_"I know she's not all evil," Emma said, nodding._

_"How?" Henry wondered._

_"Because she loves you. And as long as she loves you, there will always be a spot of good stored in her heart," Emma said._

* * *

"Always be a spot of good..." Emma murmured, snapping out of her flashback as she heard annoyed mothers laying on their horns behind her, because she was in the way of them dropping of their children.

"I'm going! I'm going... Jesus Christ," Emma muttered, putting her car into drive, and driving off. As she neared the Station, she realized that she couldn't just take Henry away from Regina. Not only did he love her, but she loved him.

"There has to be a better way..." Emma murmured as she climbed out of her car, shutting the door with a frustrated slam.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Here is chapter 3! Thanks so much for all the favorites and follows! And thank you to the anonymous Guest who reviewed! We love you for that and I think we're all a little pissed at Emma after Sunday's episode! XD

* * *

Emma waved at Henry as he ran towards the car excitedly, tossing his back-pack in through the window.

"Hey kid, how was school?" Emma asked putting on a smile for him, so he wouldn't pick up on her inner mental battle.

"Boring. Mary Margaret gave us homework for the whole weekend!" He said grumpily. "But it's okay because if you make me go to my mom's this weekend I'll just leave it at your place and tell her I forgot it." He said grinning mischievously.

"OH No, Kid! You're not having your mother come banging on my door this weekend. Today's only Thursday. You can do some it tonight and finish it on Sunday evening when Regina drops you off. Got me?" Emma said holding a protesting hand in the air.

Henry sighed in resignation, rolling his eyes. "Fine. But I still don't wanna go over there…" He mumbled.

Emma slumped in her seat. "Alright, if I tell you what's going on when we get to Granny's, will you promise you'll go over there and see her this weekend? It will make stuff a lot… easier," Emma said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Henry paused before nodding in agreement.

A few minutes later they were walking happily into Granny's when they crashed into Regina walking out the door, coffee and take out in hand, looking defeated and hurt.

"Oh! My bad!" Emma said quickly, checking to make sure she hadn't spilt coffee over the mayor's coat.

"It's fine," Regina gritted out, brushing Emma's hand away. She looked at Henry who stood next to Emma watching in angst. "Hi, sweetheart," She said softly.

"Hi Mom," Henry said, looking at his shoes. Emma nudged him, and he looked up at Regina again. "Umm, I was wondering, maybe… I don't know if—you might be busy but, canistaywithyouthisweekend?" he blurted out quickly.

Regina straightened up in shock, looking to Emma who shrugged with a smile.

"Of course you can Henry, I would be so, so happy to spend the weekend with you." Regina said crouching down to hug him one-handedly.

"Okay then. Great!" Emma said quickly. "I'll drop him at your place right after school? Or would you like to pick him up?"

Regina paused trying her damndest not to glare at Emma. "No, umm, it's fine. Drop him off after school," she said pursing her lips together in a fake smile.

"Great," Emma said again. "It's a date. Come on kid, let's get you something to eat so you can start that homework huh?" She said ruffling Henry's hair.

"Ughh whyyy?" Henry groaned.

"Henry. Don't back-talk Miss Swan. It's not polite," Regina admonished.

"Sorry. See you tomorrow Mom," Henry said scampering off to the booth he liked.

Regina watched him as Ruby came over to take his order. Regina felt her heart twang in hurt, as she thought about how that should be her at that table with Henry. She took a calming breath and before Emma could say anything, Regina not so gently pushed passed her, out the door.

Emma sighed. That had been more than awkward… She walked over to the booth where Henry was sitting and slid in across from him.

"Alright, I told her I'd come over. So what's this big secret? What's going on?" Henry said cutting right to the point.

Emma sighed, "Okay kid, nothings been… set in stone or anything, but those papers I gave your mom were…" she sighed, rubbing her forehead wearily. "I'm—I kinda filed for custody of you." She said quickly, taking a big gulp of her diet coke.

"Really?!" Henry said excitedly.

"Yeah, but listen… I don't want to take you away from Regina at all. I just wanna be a part of your life is all," Emma said putting her hand on top of Henry's and squeezing.

Henry paused, before frowning… "H—how'd she take it?"

Emma sighed, leaning back, "I don't know Henry, but she's going to be really… upset for a while, okay? So, the best way to make this work is to you know, make her feel like she's not losing you entirely okay?" Emma said raising an eyebrow at him.

Henry nodded in agreement, "Okay, I get it."

"Good, now finish your cheeseburger so we can get started on that homework, kid."

* * *

The next morning Regina stood in her kitchen, still in her pajamas. Her iPod played distantly from the living room, as she made two cupcakes. It had become a sort of tradition in their house, every year on her birthday she would make cupcakes for herself and Henry and they would watch movies together. She took another sip of wine, wondering if she should pace herself, as it was already her 2nd bottle. Not to mention the other bottles of liquor she'd polished off overnight. She hadn't been able to sleep last night._ Oh well… It's 5 o'clock somewhere_… she thought carelessly, downing the rest of her glass.

She put the cupcakes in the oven and set the timer. Henry would be here in about 3 hours. She had plenty of time to sober up before he got here, she thought as she plopped down onto her couch.

She listened as the music played, humming along, "_To stand outside your virtue… No one can ever hurt you…Or so they say…_" she sang softly. She lay down on the couch, setting her wine glass clumsily on the coffee table, spilling some on the carpet. Normally, Regina Mills would have been scrubbing the hell out of the carpet immediately… But today, she couldn't find one damn to give.

Soon, she found herself asleep, nightmares haunting her behind closed lids.

_**"You will NOT KEEP MY SON FROM ME!" She saw herself yell at Emma's retreating back walking down the sidewalk.**_

_**Emma turned around with a hateful glare. "He's not your son anymore!"**_

_**Regina felt like all the life had been sucked out of her. Her blood turned black and boiling and she screamed in rage, throwing magic at Emma and throwing the blonde bitch flying through the air, and felt herself beam with the satisfaction of magic coursing through her body once again.**_

_**"MOM! Mom!" A little boy's voice cried and she looked frantically around; afraid Henry had just seen her use magic. She couldn't see him. She towered over Emma sparks of purple magic emitting from her fingers. She wanted to inflict pain, she wanted to make Emma disappear. She had known bringing them back was a bad idea… How easy would it be to end it all right here?**_

_"__**No… No Henry, no… don't watch, stay inside… No**__…__**"**_ Regina mumbled in her sleep, as she heard Henry's voice clearly upset call out to her. Regina heard his voice but she couldn't bring herself to wake up… It hurt too much, here in her dreams though, it was **magical**.

"Mom! Mom?! I am inside! I'm right here!" Henry cried, shaking her shoulder. His mom was having a nightmare, lying on the floor in a pile of broken glass. Her arm was bleeding and she wouldn't wake up. He quickly swept as much glass away from her as he could with his sleeve and ran to put his shoes on.

* * *

"Emma! Emma!" Henry cried running into the apartment.

"Henry? What is it? What's wrong? It's after 11 o'clock! Why aren't you at your mom's?" Emma said coming down the stairs hurriedly.

"Something's wrong! You gotta help her. She—she won't wake up!" Henry said, panicking.

"What? Did you call 911?" Emma said grabbing her cardigan off the hook.

"You are 911!" He exclaimed, And she—I thought she was just taking a nap when I got there, and I didn't wanna wake her up in case she was having one of her migraines she gets—" He spit out, almost hyperventilating.

"Kid, slow down, breathe. Just breathe, what happened next?" Emma said putting a hand on his shoulder as she crouched in front of him.

"I made myself some Ramen noodles and watched tv… Then I went to bed and next thing I heard was this big crash from the living room. And I went downstairs and she'd fallen off the couch and smashed her arm on the coffee table an—and she was talking in her sleep and I couldn't wake her up! You gotta help her!" He cried, scared tears falling down his cheeks.

"Okay Henry, I need you to stay here with Mary Margaret and David okay? I'm gonna go help your mom," Emma said seriously concerned. What had Regina done to herself? She chewed on her lip as she feared that whatever was wrong with the Mayor was partially her fault.

"Henry is there anything else? Anything you noticed? Did she eat something or use… magic?" Emma asked calmly.

"N-no, I don't think so… It—its her birthday, there were burned cupcakes in the oven… She always makes us cupcakes on her birthday!" He sniffled.

Emma's face fell. She had no idea that she'd delivered possibly the worst news of Regina's life to her the day before her birthday.

"Okay, I'm gonna go help her I promise," Emma said standing, kissing the top of her son's head.

"Hurry!" Henry cried throwing himself around her waist.

"I will kid, I promise." Emma said grabbing her keys and running out the door.

* * *

"Regina? Regina?" Emma called as she walked into the Mayor's foyer. She ran into the living room where she found Regina, dressed somewhat scantily in a satin blue nightgown, body dumped unceremoniously on the floor pinned between the couch and the broken glass coffee table.

"Oh my god, Regina!" Emma said frantically, running over to her. She pulled off her cardigan to try and stop the bleeding from the cut on the woman's arm.

"Regina!" Emma called, tapping Regina's face gently with her hand. "Regina, wake up!" She said urgently. She looked around and saw the knocked over wine glass and she groaned. "Ohhh Regina, come on! Come on, wake up!" She said shaking Regina roughly, one hand still clutching the Mayor's bleeding arm.

She felt awful, she'd had no idea today was Regina's birthday. Henry hadn't said anything! She felt a little pang of disappointment in him; that he hadn't even been planning on spending his mother's birthday with her.

She let go of Regina's arm, still wrapped in her cardigan, and walked into the kitchen looking for some ice cubes. There she was met with a whole new scene, mixing bowls and cupcake ingredients lay scattered all over the counters, empty bottles of wine and scotch littered in between.

"Aww jeez, Regina…" Emma moaned, feeling worse and worse about her idea to file for custody of clearly the only thing this woman cared about in this world.

She grabbed an ice pack out of the freezer. Sorry, Regina. Time for a rude awakening. She thought almost humorously as she walked back into the messy living room.

She took a deep breath as she placed the ice pack gently onto Regina's exposed chest. Regina gasped at the freezing cold touch.

"Regina?" Emma called. "Regina, it's me Emma! Wake up… Come on wake up. I need you to open your eyes," Emma said. She let a smile of relief as Regina's eyes flew open.

Regina hissed in pain as she looked around frantically.

"What's—Where's Henry? What happened?" Regina asked in confusion and panic.

"Shh—he's fine! Don't worry, he came to get me, you gave him quite a scare tonight Regina," Emma said reassuringly, trying to help Regina sit up on the couch without cutting herself on the broken glass that lay shattered around her. "Easy does it, there you go… Atta girl." Emma said gently.

Regina moaned again clutching her head, "Miss Swan, what are you doing here… What—what happened?" she asked.

"I was hoping you could tell me," Emma said, giving her a sympathetic smile.

"I—don't remember… I didn't sleep last night and today… today's my birthday," Regina said, tears springing to her eyes.

"I know," Emma whispered. "You really tied one on here didn't ya?" Emma said as she still held the sweater against Regina's arm.

"What the hell happened in here?" Regina asked in shock as she finally surveyed the mess she'd made.

"Well… You were asleep when Henry got here and he said you get migraines, so he let you sleep. But after he went to bed, he heard a crash. He came downstairs and found you on the floor and he couldn't wake you up. He said you were having a nightmare?" Emma said coaxingly, trying to see if any of this rang a bell.

"Yes," Regina gulped. She looked at Emma with a hurt expression. "You were trying to turn my son against me," she said, her bottom lip quivering as the tears filled her eyes.

"I'm SO sorry Regina, I honestly didn't mean to set off any of this… I had no idea I was giving you such awful news the day before your birthday," Emma said apologetically._ I had no idea you were this depressed..._ Emma thought silently.

"But you're still planning on taking my son?" Regina said angrily through her tears, looking away quickly trying not to let Emma see the pain on her face. "Because let me tell you something Miss Swan I will die before I let you take him away from me!" She spat.

"Regina, I—" Emma stopped, placing a hand on Regina's shoulder.

"Just don't!" Regina snapped, flinching away from her touch. "I should've known better… I wasn't able to have a child then… it would make sense I can't have one now," Regina muttered bitterly.

"Regina, what are you talking about?" Emma asked seriously.  
Regina turned back to look at her, with hurt written all over her face. "Did Mary Margaret tell you the whole story?" She asked with a tone of rage in her voice, without even raising her volume.

"What story?" Emma asked, confused.

"The reason why I hated her so much… Aside from her killing Daniel." Regina spat hatefully.

"No… she—she didn't." Emma said falteringly.

"She was the child I wanted but could never have. It was difficult enough to look at her after she got my fiancé murdered… But when the healer told me… told me I'd never be able to have a child of my own. It was downright unbearable to be in her presence." Regina said, closing her eyes, letting the tears slide down her face. "The fairest child in all the land, whose father simply adored her… My relationship with Leopold was… awful. I thought may—" she gulped, "Maybe if I could give him what his first wife had, a child, that we would… be happy." She whispered sadly.


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n: hi it's katelyn here. okay so here is chapter 4 i hope you like it xoxo i have incorporated (slash tried) to incorporate stuff from Sunday nights episode...I've used some artistic license and change some of the stuff, but some dialogue is the take it as you will. :) uhm also if you haven't already check out my tumblr and check out kelsey's? she's: youwillnotkeepmysonfromme and i'm shh-the-adults-are-talking. Okay well enjoy this chapter and leave reviews!**

* * *

"Hold on, hold on, slow down," Emma requested, taken aback by the slew of confessions that had spilled out of Regina's mouth all too quickly.

"I'm sorry," Regina slurred, still sounding a little drunk.

"So, Snow killed your fiance?" Emma asked, trying to understand. Regina shook her head.

"There was a man, named Daniel. He worked in our stable when I was living with my mother and father. We fell in love. It shouldn't have happened, I know, but it did. My mother never would have approved, though," Regina said sadly.

"Why not?" Emma asked.

"She didn't have much herself, growing up. She worked so hard to get the power and status that she has now, and for me to marry down, marry a stable boy- well that would be unacceptable," Regina said shaking her head. "One day, when I was off in a field with my horse, another horse came racing by, and on top was a young girl who was in danger and couldn't stop her horse. I saved her life, before she fell off. Turns out, this was the daughter of the King. This was Snow. His wife had died, and he was looking for a new one, and a new mother to his young daughter. And he was in luck, because mother was looking for a husband for me," Regina said bitterly. "So it was all arranged. I was to marry the king." Regina let out a dark laugh, "He didn't even want a wife... he wanted a nanny! He never truly thought of me as his wife... he was still in love with his dead one." She slurred, shaking her head in misery.

"But what about Daniel?" Emma asked.

"Ah, yes...what about Daniel?" Regina asked, tears forming again. "I went to tell him all that had happened and we decided we would run away together. And Snow, she saw us kissing," Regina said, shuddering, as if she was in that moment again. "I told her I loved Daniel, and what "True Love" really was. Isn't that ironic? I made her swear not to tell my mother that she had seen us. She promised," Regina bit her lip, and repeated more darkly, "She promised."

"What happened?" Emma asked, to prompt Regina to speak again after a moment of silent reflection.

"She told my mother. I know my mother is cunning, and she tricked Snow into telling, and that Snow was very young, but I couldn't forgive her, because of what my mother did, because of Snow's betrayal. She came to the stable and found Daniel and me there. And she tricked us into thinking that she was resigned with our relationship, because I was happy. Then she ripped his heart out! Crushed it into dust. She killed my Daniel." Regina stopped speaking. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks. Regina wasn't going to say anymore on her own.

It was Emma's turn to speak, but instead, she took a moment of silence in remembrance of Daniel. It was the least she could do. She felt so helpless in this situation, so at least he deserved a moment of remembrance.

Regina sniffled, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes, but Emma stopped her, speaking up for the first time in a few minutes.

"I have to hold this till the bleeding stops," Emma said motioning towards the shirt that was wrapped around the cuts on Regina's arm, "I'll do it," she offered. She pulled her own sleeve down, and wiped Regina's tears from her eyes.

"Is Henry okay?" Regina asked.

"He was just worried about you," Emma said. Regina nodded with a sigh, "Look, I know it seems like Henry is being distant, and pulling away, but he does care about you. He does love you," Emma admitted quietly. "You two have a special relationship that I'll never have with him. You were his mother, and you two have had ten whole years together, that I missed."

"I'm sorry," Regina murmured.

"For what?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow, giving a soft smile.

"For everything. Trying to destroy you, and your relationship with Henry. For all of the things I have caused and ruined," Regina said quietly, not able to meet Emma's intense gaze with her own, so she stared at her lap.

"Why didn't you want him to be with me? Is it because of this whole 'savior' thing?" Emma asked curiously.

Regina sighed, looking up at the ceiling "God, it was so much more than that. Honestly, I didn't even care about the curse...I just couldn't bear the thought of losing Henry. I wanted to get married to Daniel and have a baby with him, but then he died. And once I married the king, he wanted another child. So I was forced to-" She stopped herself, "I put up with this want of his...but I could never get pregnant. And when we went to the healer," Regina paused, "she said I was barren. I couldn't have children. The king pulled even farther away, soon I was locked away. And my downward spiral began... Next thing I knew, I came here and I found Henry." This made Regina smile, thinking back to her first day with Henry.

* * *

_**"Shh, sweetheart, it's okay," Regina murmured, rocking the sweet baby in her arms, as he fussed. The social workers let Regina keep Henry for the night, to see how everything worked out, and Regina was loving every minute of it. **_

_**"Are you hungry, baby?" Regina asked, kissing little Henry's forehead, "Yeah? Let's go get you a bottle," she murmured. She tickled Henry as she warmed up the bottle, and her heart leapt as Henry responded with gurgling giggles. **_

_**After she had given Henry his bottle and burped him, it was time for bed. She changed him, and she put on her own pajamas and snuggled into bed with him. She took him in her arms and rocked him to sleep, and she whispered a poem to him.**_

_**"My darling boy, I'll hold you tight. I won't let go. I'll be with you every night. The angel's will watch over you. They'll guard everything you do. And I'll help, I'll take care too. I'll kiss your forehead. I'll help you fall asleep in bed. No matter if you're near or far. I'll love you from here to the stars; around the moon and back through the sky. I love you always because I'm your mommy and you're my little guy." She finished the poem and smiled when she realized that he was fast asleep. **_

_**Although she wasn't officially his mother yet, something just felt so right about holding this tiny human in her arms, and she felt like his mother. She gave him one more kiss on the forehead, and watched as he peacefully slept in her arms, through the night.**_

* * *

"I couldn't lose him. I don't love much, Ms. Swan, but God, I love that little boy. I use up all the love I think I have left on him. I'd do anything for him and I would never hurt him. I think taking him from me would hurt him, Ms. Swan. I truly do. And I'm not saying that to be selfish. But I'm saying it because I think it's true," Regina confessed, a lone tear rolling down her cheek. She was sobering up now.

"I'm sorry Regina. I think what's best is if Henry stays with me. He knows you're trying to change, but he just doesn't trust you anymore," Emma said sadly.

"Please. He's my son," Regina was almost begging.

"I...I don't know what to do. Honestly. I think what's best for him is to let him go where he wants. I'm not saying make him choose...in fact...I think he should see us both. But I don't know how he feels really...except a little unsure with you," Emma asked, "And now I'm not judging. I've definitely been drunk and sad before, but it probably would have helped if you had a sober conversation with him..." Emma said.

"Thanks. Because I needed that," Regina said with a glare.

"Sorry," Emma said sheepishly. Emma stared at Regina for a moment. Her eyes glistened with tears, but she had never looked more beautiful. Emma had never thought of Regina as beautiful, because she was always so frustrated and angry with her. She was obviously an attractive woman, there was no denying that. But Emma had never thought of it as true beauty. But seeing this side of the often cold and cruel mayor, was interesting.  
Emma slid closer to Regina.

"We should clean this up," Emma suggested. Regina shook her head.

"I'll do it in the morning. You should get back to Henry. He's probably worried," Regina said.

"Are you sure, Regina? I don't mind helping you," Emma offered.

"It's fine. You should be with Henry. I've probably blown my chance with him now," Regina said, looking around at the mess.

"They're throwing a party tomorrow night, at Granny's...as like a welcome home sort of thing for me and Mary Margaret. I think it's silly, but everyone insisted," Emma said shrugging, "You should come," she added.

"Why? None of them will want to see me," Regina said shaking her head.

"If you hadn't broke the enchantment on the portal, Mary Margaret and I would have died. Henry explained the seriousness of that enchantment to me. You saved us," Emma said. She stood, and then took Regina's hand, and helped her stand up, tip-toeing around the broken glass.

"Thanks," Regina murmured. That's when Emma realized it. She didn't have romantic feelings for Regina, but Regina didn't have to know that. She didn't know how Regina felt towards her, but being in a relationship would allow Henry to see both of them. She knew it was crazy, but it was a totally sober thought. It had to be legit. And so in that instant, Emma made a split second decision, not thinking of possible consequences.  
Emma cupped Regina's face with her soft hands, and kissed her mouth gently. It wasn't forceful or hurried. It was sweet and calm and focused.  
When Emma broke away, she looked for a reaction on Regina's face. Anything at all that could tell her whether this quickly conceived plan would work at all.

"Ms. Swan! You just-" Regina exclaimed.

"No, no. Don't think, don't talk. Just feel," Emma requested, and so she kissed Regina again, with the same gentle passion that she had the first time.  
"How did that feel?" Emma asked.

"Good...a little awkward, but...right. It felt right," Regina said more confidently.

"Good. Okay. That's good. Isn't it?" Emma asked.

"Ms. Swan," Regina began.

"For Chrissake. I just kissed you. You can call me Emma," Emma said rolling her eyes.

"Sorry...Emma. What are you doing? Why did you kiss me?" Regina asked.

"I just...it felt like the thing to do. I'm sorry," Emma said biting her lip. Maybe Regina wasn't open to the idea of playing for the other team. Maybe this plan to give Henry's life some stability had been too rushed and not thought out enough. Maybe Emma had just done something stupid, and had not thought about her needs or Regina's enough, and only about Henry's. Maybe-

"Don't be sorry," Regina said shaking her head, "Just do it again."

"What?" Emma asked surprised.

"Kiss me again. Unless you had no intention of doing this. And it was just something you did in the heat of the moment. And that kiss was just a mistake," Regina said firmly.

"No. No, no, was not a mistake," Emma stammered.

"Good," Regina said. She was waiting.

"Right. Kiss you," Emma reminded herself. She leaned in again, and took Regina's lips with her own. This time, there was a little more fervor than before. Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's neck, as Regina wrapped her arms around Emma's waist, the bloody shirt wrapped around her arm lay on the floor long forgotten. Regina broke away.

"Let me help you to bed," Emma offered, but Regina shook her head.

"I'll be fine," Regina replied quietly, then added, "Thank you, Emma."

"For what?" Emma asked with a smile.

"For coming over here," Regina said. She paused and then added, "for kissing me."

"I'll see you tomorrow at Granny's...7 oclock?" Emma asked.

"Okay," Regina agreed. Regina led Emma to the door in silence, and held the door for her, as she exited quietly. Nothing else was said. Nothing else needed to be.

As Emma drove back to Mary Margaret's, she couldn't help but think about the kiss. She hadn't done it for the reasons that Regina had. It wasn't necessarily the wrong reason- it was for Henry after all, but it wasn't for love. Emma did not love Regina. Regina was cruel, vindictive, cold, and she had tried to kill Emma! But surprisingly enough for Emma, it seemed that Regina had some sort of feelings for her.

"She kissed me back," Emma murmured to herself with a grin. She turned on the radio and drove home, bracing herself for the questions she would receive from Mary Margaret, David and Henry, and the explanation she would have to give, and the information she would have to withhold.

.oOo.

Emma finally reached the apartment and unlocked the door. She was careful to be quiet, so that she wouldn't wake everybody up.

"Emma!" Henry exclaimed in a hissed whisper, as Emma walked into the living room. He jumped off the couch and ran to her.

"Hey...hey why are you still up?" Emma asked, but then shook her head, "Sorry. Dumb question."

"I was worried about you...and her," Henry admitted.

"She's okay. She said she was sorry," Emma murmured.

"I know she is. She was sad...today was her birthday," Henry said.

"Yeah... I invited her to the party at Granny's tomorrow," Emma said with a soft smile, blushing, thinking about the kiss.

"Good. I hope she'll come," Henry murmured. Then he yawned. Then they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. A light from the hallway flipped on.

"You should get to bed before they see you're still awake," Emma suggested.

"Good night, Emma," Henry said, hugging her quickly, before running around the corner to his room.

"Emma," Mary Margaret said, when she saw Emma standing in the center of living room.

"Hey," Emma said looking down. She knew Mary Margaret would disapprove whole heartedly against her being in a relationship with Regina. She made a quick executive decision to not tell her just yet.

"What happened? Henry wouldn't tell us, but he was freaking out," Mary Margaret explained in a hushed whisper. She sounded frustrated and almost angry.

"Regina was sick...she got hurt when she passed out," Emma explained. It wasn't a lie exactly. But it was the truth. More like a half truth.

"She can't take care of herself when her son is with her?" Mary Margaret asked in disgust, "If she wants him so bad-" She began, but Emma cut her off.

"Hey! She wanted to see him. She was SICK. Not much anyone can do about that," Emma replied. Mary Margaret was taken aback by Emma's comment.

"Since when are you defending her?" Mary Margaret asked surprised.

"Since you started attacking her! Just calm down. Everyone's okay," Emma told her.

"You want ME to calm down?" Mary Margaret exclaimed, shocked.

"Yeah. I do," Emma said, growing angry with Mary Margaret's reactions.

"Emma, you can't-" Mary Margaret began, but was cut off once again.

"You're my mother my blood. That's all. You don't have a right to tell me what I can and can't do," Emma said, and with that, she walked away, heading towards Henry's room. She would stay in there for now.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret called, but she was ignored. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Come back to bed," a voice requested. She turned to see David.

"I'm coming," Mary Margaret said with a sigh. David wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her back upstairs.

"Goodnight," he told her, once they were snuggled back into bed.

"Goodnight," she replied. He kissed her on the forehead, and they fell back into distraught sleeps, feeling worried and unsure.

.oOo.

The next morning, Regina woke up with an aching head. She groaned as she sat up. It was going to be a long day. She rolled out of bed slowly, glancing at the clock. It was already one in the afternoon. She had slept far too long. She had to make something for the party. And she had to clean up this mess. She walked into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror, grimacing when she saw how she looked. She would have to make herself presentable before the party as well. Had she looked this way when Emma was here? Suddenly, she felt nervous and self conscious.

"Get a grip, Regina. You're the Evil Queen, dammit. Nothing scares you. You don't get nervous," she said firmly, aloud, giving herself a pep talk. She looked back into the mirror at her messy hair and groaned, "I need a shower." Ridding her mind of the mess that she knew was waiting for her in the kitchen and living room, she got undressed. She inspected the gash on her arm from the shattered glass of the coffee table. It was caked with dry blood, but it didn't look deep. She was sure a bandage would be fine, and she wouldn't need stitches. Of course, she could have just used magic to fix it, but she was trying to be magic free for Henry. Using magic even to mend her wound, would be a step in the wrong direction. After hanging up a towel, she stepped into the shower.

She let the warm water massage her back, and soothe her feelings of stress and fear. Images of the previous night flooded back to her. She felt flashes of anger, and of glass shattering and of Henry's cries in fear, and of pain. And then suddenly she felt Emma's soft lips on hers, and then she was back in the present. Alone.

She was feeling guilty. She shouldn't have opened the wine. She knew Henry was coming over. But once again, she had put her needs above his. She was seriously doubting her abilities as a mother. She just wanted Henry back. She just wanted to know that he loved her. That someone loved her.  
Then her thoughts returned to Emma. Her sweet smelling blonde hair, the sparkle in her eyes when she was determined, but then how they melted with empathy and care. She was beautiful. And she had kissed her. But what if it was all a mistake. How could Emma care at all about Regina? All Regina had done was try to get rid of Emma. They were enemies. How could they be anything but that? Now Regina's mind was filled with worry again, and the once soothing water was no longer taming her unease. She rinsed the last bit of shampoo and conditioner out her hair and shut the water off.

She wrapped herself in a towel, and walked into her bedroom and to the closet. She figured she would just wear casual clothes until it was time to go, and then she would dress up a little more nicely.

She would have no visitors today. No one wanted to see the evil queen. So yoga pants and a sweater were absolutely fine. And even if they weren't, at this point Regina was so tired and lonely that she just didn't care. Popping two asprin in her mouth, she walked down the spiral staircase, preparing herself to face the mess she had created. And was it something to face.

Her glass coffee table next to the couch was shattered, pillows her strewn around the living room, she was sure there was blood on the carpet from her arm, and the wine stains on the white carpet made her cringe.

"Great," she muttered sarcastically. She picked up the pillows and shook them out, making sure there were no shards of glass on them. Placing them on one couch, she grabbed the broom and dustpan that Henry had left out last night, and began sweeping up the glass that had shattered everywhere on the floor. Once she had swept and vacuumed the remaining shards of glass, she went to work on the blood stain. She sprayed multiple chemicals and scrubbed with soap and water and in the end, though it was not completely gone, it had faded significantly. That was good enough.

She then made her way to the kitchen. It was not as bad as she thought, besides the empty wine bottles, and pile of dishes, and burnt cupcakes. She made quick work of the dishes, and discarded the bad cupcakes and bottles. Once everything was clean, she started this evening's meal that she would bring- her famous lasagna, because she knew it was Henry's favorite. She put the lasagna in the oven. She had 38 minutes to get dressed before it would be done. So she made her way upstairs to figure out her outfit.

She wanted to look classy, mayor-esque, but not too dressy. Emma would probably wear jeans and a sweater, anyways. But still, she wanted to look nice. Dress to impress, isn't that what her god awful mother used to say?

She opened her closet doors, and immediately her eyes focused in on a dark maroon shirt and black pencil skirt. It was perfect. It was a silky and stitched fabric, with a pretty neckline, and the fitted skirt went down a little above her knees. It was perfect. She put it on, picked out her black leather boots, and made her way to the bathroom to do her hair and makeup.

A quickly blow dry and some hair spray to style her hair nicely, and simple eye liner, eye shadow, but with dark red lipstick, that stood out well against her creamy skin. She was going to look great. If Emma was unsure about the kiss now, she wouldn't be when she saw Regina. She walked down stairs, just in time to grab the food. She looked at the kitchen clock which read 6:58pm.

"Damn," Regina muttered. She would be a few minutes late, but not too bad. She wrapped up the lasagna, grabbed her coat and purse and headed out the door.

.oOo.

Emma check her watch, as she had been every minute for the past 6 minutes. It was ten past seven and Emma was starting to worry. Had Regina decided not to come? Was she okay? The questions that were running through her head, making her sick with worry, ceased as the diner door opened, and Regina walked in.

"Sorry I'm late," she said gently. She looked at the people in the room. Most wore angry or disgusted faces. Leroy picked up a knife.

"What's she doing here?" He asked angrily.

"I invited her," Emma said fiercely. Regina looked down at her feet and placed the lasagna near Henry on the counter, avoiding eye contact with the people gathered in the diner.

"Emma," Mary Margaret hissed in a whisper to Emma, asked Regina greeted Henry with a hug.

"What?" Emma asked.

"You invited her?" Mary Margaret asked back.

"Yeah, I did," Emma said nodding.

"She tried to kill us," Mary Margaret exclaimed.

"Without her, we wouldn't be here right now. Don't forget that," Emma reminded her. David began to protest, but Emma cut him off- she had a knack for doing that sort of thing.

"She's trying to change for Henry's sake and for our sake. Let her show you that she can," Emma said almost pleading.

"Fine," Mary Margaret said reluctantly, though David wasn't convinced.

"Thank you," Emma said with a soft smile, hugging Mary Margaret and giving David a kiss on the cheek. She made her way over to Ruby to thank her and her grandmother for the party. David and Mary Margaret walked over to the 'seven dwarves' to talk to them, and everyone else laughed and mingled together.

"I'm glad you came," Henry told his mother.

"Me too," Regina said with a smile. She hugged Henry again.

"What's that?" Leroy sneered, "Poison apples?"

"Actually it's lasagna," Regina replied, returning the sneer.

"Ooh my favorite!" Henry exclaimed, and Regina turned her attention away from Leroy to serve Henry a piece.

"I know. I made it special just for you," she said with a smile.

"Thank you," Henry said sincerely, hugging his mother for the first time in a while. Emma saw this hug and her heart broke. She had been trying to take that away for all the wrong reasons, and she was feeling the regret already.

Regina watched as everyone, including Henry talked to everyone else in the room, except herself. She got up with defeat, and quietly slipped out of the diner, her eyes feeling the sting of tears. This went unnoticed by everyone besides Emma.

"Excuse me," She said to Archie, and followed Regina out the door.

"Archie made a cake," Emma called awkwardly to Regina, "You don't want to stay for a piece?"

"I'm fine...thank you," Regina said politely.

"Oh...okay," Emma said with a sigh and turned to walk inside.

"Thank you," Regina said, stepping forward.

"You just said that," Emma said confused, turning back around.

"For inviting me," Regina said sincerely.

"Henry wanted it," Emma replied, and Regina's face fell slightly. Not that I didn't want it, she thought to herself, "I'm glad you guys got to spend some time together," she said nodding.

"Me too," Regina said, pain written on her face, "I'd like to see him more," she admitted. "Maybe you'd consider letting him stay over some time? I have his room just waiting for him," Regina said with a small chuckle.

"Oh..." Emma said sadly, "I'm...I'm not sure if that's best," she replied. Regina's face fell- maybe everything yesterday had been a mistake.

"Because you know so much about parenting from the five minutes you've been with him," Regina said, beginning to feel angry, "Talk to David," She continued, "At least he took care of him in the time you were away like I did, in the ten years you were away the first time!" Regina exclaimed, feeling the tears pool in her eyes. Emma was taken aback and speechless.

"Okay," Emma said coldly, "Thanks for coming." She began to turn away again, but stopped at the sound of Regina's voice.

"No wait- I'm sorry," her voice sounded shakey, and her eyes were still watering, but tears had yet to fall. Emma turned around, with an impatient and skeptical look on her face.

"Emma, I am sorry," Regina said again, "For snapping at you. I shouldn't have done that...Will you accept my apology? She asked, now feeling impatient.

"Okay," Emma said after a moment of silence, "You're right...Archie said you were trying to change. You are."

"Dr Hopper said I was trying?" Regina looked angry.

"He said you came to see him," Emma explained, "You're trying not to use magic...you're trying to be a better person. You understand I was hesitant to invite you? I asked him and he thought it was a good idea," Emma said.

"You didn't seem hesitant when you kissed me," Regina said.

"I...because I was sure about that," Emma half lied. She was telling a lot of those lately.

"You know, Emma, I'm starting to have trouble believing you and differentiating between things you truly mean, and things you just say," Regina said angrily. "You invite me, then you tell me you're not sure. You try to take my son away from me, and then admit that you wish you hadn't. And then you tell me that it might not be a good idea to see my son? But you defended me to your parents. And you kissed me. But now you act like it didn't happen-" Regina rattled off, and before she could finish, Emma's lips were on hers again. It was hurried at first, frantic to get her to stop thinking and start feeling, but once Regina had let go, the kiss turned slow and gentle.

"Ok? I mean it," Emma said when they finally broke away.

"I...okay. I should go," Regina said, turning away.

"Do you mean it too?" Emma asked.

"I think so," Regina whispered, still not facing Emma.

"Okay then," Emma said, and she, too turned away. As she walked back up the steps of Granny's, Regina walked to her quickly, and before Emma opened the door, surprised her with one more kiss.

"I'm sure," Regina said nodding once they had broken apart. "Good night, Miss Swan." With that, Regina walked out of the driveway and into her car.

"Good night," Emma said, biting her lip.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Okay guys! So sorry for the delay! I actually had this chapter written like, 5 days ago and I sent it to Kaitlin so she could beta it and she did, very efficiently... Then I got hit with a 3 day migraine so I didn't get around to correcting/adding more until now! I promise to hopefully get back on super fast schedule because we have SOO much drama coming up and we're definitely plotting a sequel (I think?!) Please PLEASE Review because we love hearing from you about what you like/didn't like and yeah so... On with the story?

* * *

**_There's a burning in my pride, a nervous bleeding in my brain_**

**_An ounce of peace is all I want for you, Will you never call again?_**

**_And will you never say that you love me just to put it in my face?_**

**_And will you never try to reach me, it is I that wanted space..._**

* * *

**"I'm leaving. Forget you ever met me. Its best for you... and Henry,"** Regina's voice resounded in Emma's brain, shaking her out of her stupor. She'd been arguing with Regina for the last hour and as Regina spoke she felt herself protest angrily.

"No! REGINA!" Emma yelled as the brunette stalked away from her, ignoring her shouts.

Things around Storybrooke had been tense to say the least for the last few days. After their kiss at Granny's neither one had made any sort of move. She felt a little awkward because she still didn't know if Regina knew exactly why she had kissed her. Emma shook her head. Honestly, sometimes she felt like**_ she_**didn't even know. She told herself a relationship with Regina was the only way to make things easier on Henry. Other times, she almost felt like she cared about Regina. In the 'love' sort of way. Of course, Emma wouldn't use the 'L' word. Not when she wasn't sure... Regina had had a hard life, and if anyone in Storybrooke could relate to Regina's struggles it was Emma.

"Regina, wait!" Emma yelled, chasing the woman down the stairs. Regina had been overtly pissed at her ever since the incident of Archie's death. And Emma knew why- she hadn't trusted Regina, and that had hurt her. How, Regina had asked, after everything they'd been through, Emma not trust her. Even Archie had admitted that Regina seemed genuine in her attempt to change. So why couldn't Emma bring herself to believe Regina?

So here they were today- Regina had come to tell Emma that she was leaving. She wouldn't say why. Just that it was best for everyone.

"Emma stop this! What is it that you want from me? I'm not changing my mind!" Regina cried out, stopping sharp, but not turning to face the flustered blonde.

"Well that's obvious! But you at least owe me an explanation!" Emma said angrily.

"I don't owe you a damn thing." Regina hissed, spinning around and getting right in Emma's face.  
Emma, not one to back down from anyone, stood strong. She could smell the wine on Regina's breath, liquid courage, Emma figured, and the subtle smell of Coco Mademoiselle perfume that seemed to follow Regina wherever she went.

"You're just gonna run away?!" Emma exclaimed putting a hand on the door to stop Regina's exit.  
Regina froze.

"You know all about running," Regina taunted back, making an attempt to open the door, but Emma held strong.

"This isn't about me! It's about you. And running just makes you look guiltier!" Emma fought back.

This made Regina stop, frozen with not only anger, but fear, which she did her best to hide. "I didn't do it!" She said quietly, through gritted teeth.

"Then why are you leaving!?" Emma cried. "Why are you leaving your son?" Why are you leaving me? The unspoken words echoed in her head.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Regina said, looking away from Emma's gaze.

"Try me. I had to believe that whole town of fairytale characters existed. I went to your land! You'd be surprised how much suspension of disbelief I can handle now." Emma said.

"You expect me to give you reasons after you accuse me of murder, and tell me I'm never going to see my son again?!" Regina snarled. "Get out of my way. Miss. Swan." Regina growled menacingly.

"No." Emma said quietly. Her little embarrassment on Regina's sidewalk earlier, was seriously making her WANT to move out of Regina's way. There was not a chance in hell she was capable of taking on this woman in a magical confrontation. Regina had a pretty good right hook too, come to think of it, Emma thought. But against her better judgment, Emma stood steadfast in her position, not moving out of Regina's line of fire.

"Move. Now." Regina all but whispered. She didn't even need to raise her voice, the malice dripped from her voice so much, the intent was clear.

"Regina. I—I'm sorry I threatened you with Henry. But, I saw it. I saw YOU. How can you deny a memory?" Emma said firmly.

Regina laughed cruelly. "Miss Swan if you base all of your police work on a dog's memory, then this town is truly in jeopardy. Memories can be altered. Memories can be INVENTED. Look at this curse for God's sake! Every single person here has a whole life of "MEMORIES" that aren't even real. So you'll excuse me if I don't give a single fuck what you think you saw!" Regina yelled.

"But who would do that? Who **could **do that, besides **YOU**?" Emma protested, slightly shocked at the ex-mayor's colorful vocabulary.

Regina couldn't answer- wouldn't answer. So instead she turned away from Emma's face.

"Fine. You wanna leave? You want to be a cowardly **bitch** that left her son and life behind because you can't face the music? Go ahead!" Emma said, lip quivering. "But… Y-you have to tell Henry. I want you to remember the look on his face when you tell him what a spineless evil witch that you really are." Emma said trying not to let her tears of anger and hurt slide down her face.

Regina turned back to Emma, one final time. "Well thanks to you… I'm sure he'll be happier without me. He has you now," Regina whispered bitterly.

She put her hands gently on Emma's shoulders. She had told Emma that she used all her love up on Henry, but that hadn't been entirely true. This last kind gesture, as little as it was, was the last bit of love she had left, and she used it on Emma. Emma looked shocked at the sweet gesture. It was sweet, anyways, before she felt a magical pulse flow through her and sent her flying sideways into the table. She let out a cry and looked up at Regina with pain and sadness.

Regina just stared at her. Her normally soft brown eyes turned into pools of chocolate ice. Emma couldn't see her anymore. Of course, visibly she could see Regina, but as she looked up at the woman, she didn't recognize her. She couldn't see Regina- the Regina that had good in her, the one who loved her son, the one who had _kissed_ her. Instead she saw the Evil Queen, who had ripped out hearts, poisoned princesses, made deals of dark magic. Emma tried to stand up again; feeling not fear anymore, but instead feelings akin to hopelessness and failure.

Emma didn't yell, or try to stop her. There was no more fight left in her. Regina was really leaving. She had failed. She hadn't helped change the Evil Queen, hadn't helped her feel, hadn't helped her love, hadn't helped Henry. Her mouth hung open in dismay as Regina slammed the door behind her. Emma sank to the floor slowly, letting the tears come now…_What had she done_?

oOo.

* * *

Regina crept quietly through the school hallways careful to make her heels clack as soft as possible. She saw Henry as he emptied his locker into the backpack she'd bought him for the first day of school. She kept her head down, so as not to alert the few other kids who lingered in the hallway.

She stopped a few yards away, faltering in her resolve. After her fight with Emma, she didn't feel like she had the willpower to go through with this, but it was only fair to tell Henry herself. She blinked back tears and took a calming breath. The pain in her heart was amplified by the feeling of her heartbeat pounding in her chest, ringing in her ears.

She looked around to make sure teachers weren't loitering in the halls, but Henry and she were almost alone in the echoing corridor now. She continued her walking and approached her son cautiously.

"Henry?" She asked quietly.

Henry looked up at her startled, fear and hurt flashing over his face.

"Wh-whhat are you doing here?" He said, lip quivering.

Regina looked around once more, paranoid.

She put her hands in her coat pockets and knelt down in front of him. She'd decided long ago when he was little, to always look him in the eye. Treating him like an adult made it easier for him to act like one. Not that he'd never had any temper tantrums, she'd endured her fair share of those when he was younger. But she'd told herself she would never look down on him. Never treat him like he was inferior. She wouldn't turn into her mother, she promised herself. So anytime she'd explained anything to him, had something important to say, she got down on his level. Eye to eye.

"I came to tell you that I'm sorry," She began.

"So you k-killed him? You really did it?!" Henry gasped.

"No sweetheart! No, I didn't, but I know that you think I did. I honestly had nothing to do with Dr. Hopper. You know how much I appreciated his help with both of us, I would never hurt him. He—he's the only one in this town who supported me… But I'm sorry because I know how much he meant to you." She said biting her lip.

She reached out to take Henry's hand.

"I know you and everyone don't believe me, that I could be a better person, but I p-promise…" she paused as tears filled her soft brown eyes. "I _**didn't**_ do this!" She whispered, earnestly as tears streamed down her face.

Henry's face softened as he squeezed her hand.

"I know Ruby said she saw me go to his office, but it wasn't me!" She pleaded.

"Well then who was it?" Henry asked confused and almost accusatory.

Regina sniffled, before continuing, "I don't know for sure, but there are only two other people I know who can transform into other people… and it wasn't Mr. Gold," she said, a look of determination coming over her.

"Your mom? How? She can't be in Storybrooke! Mom and Snow took the last portal!" Henry argued, letting go of her hand. "You'd say anything to get away with this. Nobody will ever believe you, you know?" Henry said shutting his locker, looking at her with a look of complete disgust.

Regina felt her heart stop, she didn't want to have to do this, but if she was right and Cora was in Storybrooke, this was the only way.

"Henry, I know you don't believe me, but remember when I told you at the well that Cora would destroy everything I love? She's doing this. She's behind all of this, to break me. She wants me to turn to magic, turn to her for help." Regina said bitterly. _"Let me help you_," she heard her mother's voice echo in her mind.

Henry rolled his eyes, clearly not believing her.

Regina's eyes welled up with tears again, "Henry… I came to say goodbye." She said, voice cracking with terrible pain and sadness.

"Why? Where are you going?" Henry asked.

"I know you want to stay with Ms. S— with Emma, and if I'm right, Cora **is** here and she wants me. I can't stay here. The longer I stay the more danger I'm putting you, Emma, everyone in Storybrooke in." Regina said, tears flowing freely.

Henry's eyes started to water.

"If Cora is here, then she'll follow me," Regina said. "Then I can defeat her without putting you at risk."

"But— you can't leave!" Henry said, clearly upset now. "You'll forget everything after you cross the line!"

Regina smiled through her tears at his concern, "No sweetheart, I won't. I'm the one who enacted the curse. I don't have any false memories. I have both._ I remember everything_…" She trailed off, taking his hands once more.

"But what if you can't defeat her? What if she kills you or takes your heart!?" Henry asked, scared.

"If she kills me, I **_will_** take her with me… And you'll be safe, I promise," _And happy…_ Regina thought.  
Henry let a tear slide down his cheek.

"B-but I don't want you to go…" He said, much to Regina's surprise.

She smiled again through her blurry tears. "I know baby, I don't want to lose you either, but…" She paused, wiping away his tear. "This is how it has to be…"

Henry through himself into her arms and she sobbed silently, clutching her son for dear life.  
This is the way it has to be… She told herself again, before releasing him, giving him one last kiss on the cheek whispering, "I Love you, I will always love you…" before turning on her heels, tears streaming down her face and not looking back.

_This is the way it has to be..._ She thought, tears burning her eyes.

* * *

Regina got in her car and drove and drove, day and night, stopping only for gas.

She felt no inclination to eat or sleep. She just wanted to lure that bitch as far away from Storybrooke, from Henry, from Emma... as she possibly could.

She vaguely enjoyed the sights of the east coast as she drove through each state, admiring a view that wasn't the same town she'd grown to hate over the course of 28 years.

She cried incessantly, as she drove, thinking she could not possibly hate herself anymore than she did right now.

_"Everyone thinks its you... Only someone as evil as you would be capable of this... Emma and Henry will never forgive you now.._." The demon on her shoulder taunted.

"NO! Dammit!" She screamed slamming the steering wheel, sobbing. Thank god she was alone, she looked like a lunatic, she thought._ I didn't do it... I didn't do it..._ She repeated over and over in the head, mentally shouting over the snide shrieks of her dark side.

After nearly 36 hours of driving on no sleep, Regina finally reached her destination. A cabin on the coast of Florida. Remote, surrounded by trees with a small pier and tiny beach all to herself. She parked the car and grabbed the Louis Vuitton suitcase of her trunk, looking around, it was definitely isolated. Peaceful, she thought with a small smile. Her eyes were sore from crying and she lugged the suitcase around the door of the cabin that faced the beach.

She'd rented this place online for 2 months, unsure of how long it would take Cora to find her, and it hadn't been cheap. The cabin itself was minimal, only 3 rooms, sparsely furnished and looked like something from the 70s had crawled up and died there.

She sighed as she dropped the suitcase on the floor of the tiny bedroom before collapsing onto the musty-smelling bed. As she clutched one of the hideous green pillows biting her lip, forcing herself not to fall apart again, she thought of Henry, and knew he would understand.

**_This is the way it has to be..._**


	6. Chapter 6

**a/n: hi guys! Katelyn here. So even though in last week's episode, there wasn't a gap between the party at granny's and regina being accused of killing archie, we wanted to give you a little gap of a couple days so we can develop relationships, experience some Swan Queen in action and so you have more to read! So unlike the episode- this chapter will be a bunch of flashbacks of the days between granny's party and archie's death.**

*just a warning, there is some Swan Queen smut in this chapter...*

Also, Kelsey & I are soooo appreciative for all the reviews and all of you that are following this story. We truly thank you for all the support! So now please enjoy chapter 6!  
xoxox- ~Katelyn

Present

* * *

Emma sat on the floor of the living room in Regina's house unable to speak, unable to move. Regina was gone and Emma hadn't stopped her. And what if that was the last time they would see each other? What then? The last thing they said to each other were words of anger and hatred. Emma hadn't gotten to tell Regina the truth- about how their relationship had just been about Henry at first, but then it changed into something more. Now Regina felt angry and hurt and probably used, and it was all because Emma didn't have the chance to tell her the truth. And now Regina was gone.

* * *

**"Yeah, it's Emma...I'm not here, so leave me a message and I'll get back to you," the recording of the sheriff's voice stated, sounding bored and impatient. Regina rolled her eyes at the recording before speaking.**

**"Ms. Swan, it's Regina. I'd like to pick up my son from school today, and take him out for lunch. So, if you just," Regina began frustrated, but sighed with a deep breath, "please return my call and let me know if that's alright, I would appreciate it greatly. Good bye," Regina sighed, hanging up. She placed the phone on the table next to her coffee. **

**She missed having Henry around, because even when no one else in town liked her, he would always be there with her. She wouldn't be alone in the house, bored to death, because she would be making him food, helping him with homework or just sitting and talking with him. Now she had no one, and if she stepped outside, there was bound to be an angry mob ready to attack. So, she sat at her kitchen table, staring into her coffee, swirling it around with a spoon.**

**She thought back to the previous night at Granny's. No one had been happy to see her when she arrived. Leroy had even picked up a knife when she walked in. She could've taken him if he had charged, that was for sure. She probably wouldn't have, though. **

**She was trying hard to be better for Henry, and one of his terms and conditions was not using magic. So, thus far, she hadn't used any magic. **

**Everything had been so confusing since her drunken blunder the other night with Emma. Emma had kissed her. HER. Regina Mills. The Evil Queen. It didn't make sense. Emma was the savior, Emma's parents hated Regina's guts, hell- she was sure Emma didn't even like her that much. So why would she...kiss her. It must have been a heat of the moment sort of thing. A way to comfort Regina. She had been a mess that evening. That was the only explanation. **

**But then last night at Granny's...there had been another kiss. Two kisses. And neither of them were drunk then. Neither of them were overly distraught- just the usual amount. And there had still been two kisses. Emma said she meant 'it'. Whatever the hell 'it' even was. And Regina had said the same. But what was this 'it' they had both referred to, as if 'it' was something common that they had talked about a lot. They hadn't talked about anything like this. They hardly ever talked, and when they did, their conversations were professional, or about Henry. So they most certainly had never talked about this. About 'it.' Was 'it' a relationship? Did Emma want a RELATIONSHIP?Jesus Christ, no way. Of course she couldn't. Of course she didn't.**

**All this thinking about relationships and 'it' and Emma was giving Regina a headache. She picked up her coffee mug and cell phone, and walked over to the couch. Since her drunken night, the carpet had been bleached multiple times until the blood stain was gone, the glass had been completely vacuumed, and the table had been thrown away. **

**Regina curled up on the couch under and blanket and put on the television. She flipped to a common police procedural, and stared mindlessly on the TV, focused on a million other things besides the show. The TV was supposed to distract her, but it didn't help. **

**Suddenly her phone rang. Regina did her best to keep down her excitement at the phone call as she answered the phone.**

**"Hello?" She answered dryly.**

**"It's Emma," the voice on the other end asked. No need to hide her excitement now. It was gone.**

**"Ah yes, Ms. Swan. Did you get my message?" Regina asked coolly.**

**"Yeah I did. You can pick him up and take him to lunch," Emma began. "Where will you take him?" **

**"Seeing as everyone in town hates me, I was going to bring him here for lunch," Regina explained.**

**"I'll have to check with Henry and see if he wants to. It's alright with me, though. Henry's still upstairs getting ready to go to school. I'll call you back after I drop him off," Emma explained.**

**"Alright. Thank you," Regina said, and hung up. She was surprised at how fine Emma seemed. She assumed that there would be plenty of rules set up in the next phone call if Henry wanted to come. **

**It hurt Regina that there was a possibility of Henry not wanting to come over. What happened to them? Henry used to love hanging out with his mom, and hugging her. Now he hardly saw her. She had chalked it up to 'kids being kids' or him growing up, but now she thought it was more. Now, maybe that Emma was here, Henry wouldn't want or need Regina anymore. She sighed and turned back to the TV show, and returned to not watching, but staring straight through the screen, thinking about none other than Emma Swan, yet again.**

**.oOo.**

* * *

**"Hey kid. Ready for school?" **

**"Yeah," Henry said nodding, walking down the stairs with his backpack. David was still sleeping, so they tried to be quiet.**

**"I made you a pancake," Emma said, sliding a plate towards him as he sat up at the counter.**

**"Thanks," He said with a grin as he cut into his food. Emma placed a sandwich in his lunchbox, along with a ziplock bag of carrots, a juice box and a cookie. She zipped his lunch box, and put it next to his backpack.**

**"You're really getting the hang of this thing," Henry commented with a smile. **

**"What thing?" Emma asked with a raised eyebrow.**

**"The being a mom thing," Henry said with a shrug.**

**"I am, aren't I?" Emma said with a smile, feeling slightly proud of herself. Henry chuckled at her and went back to cutting his pancake.**

**"Oh, by the way," Emma began, pouring herself a cup of coffee, "Regina wants to pick you up from school today and take you out to lunch."**

**"Did you say that was okay?" Henry asked, taking another bite of pancake.**

**"It's fine with me, so this is on you...do you want to go?" Emma explained, pouring another cup of coffee for Mary Margaret into a to-go cup.**

**"Sure. I'll go," Henry said nodding, "I want to keep an eye on her anyway...see if she's using magic and all," He continued. **

**"Alright...so you're going to be a spy?" Emma asked.**

**"Well, not exactly," Henry said sheepishly.**

**"She's your mom, Henry," Emma reminded him.**

**"Aren't you filing for custody though?" Henry asked.**

**"It's...it's complicated. But you don't need to worry about that. Regina is your mother," Emma said.**

**"Okay...tell her I said yes," Henry said. Then Mary Margaret walked in.**

**"Morning," she said with a smile. Emma handed her coffee.**

**"Ready, Henry?" Mary Margaret asked.**

**"Yup!" He exclaimed, putting his empty plate in the sink.**

**"Alright, I'll see you later, Henry. Be good for your mom," Emma warned.**

**"You're taking this mom thing to heart way too much!" Henry told her rolling his eyes.**

**"Get out," Emma teased with a wink. He hugged her, and headed out the door with Mary Margaret, who began asking Henry about what he was doing with Regina as soon as she shut the door. **

**Emma walked over to the couch and picked up her cellphone and dialed Regina back. As the phone was ringing, Emma realized that they should probably talked about what happened between them the last couple of nights. The kiss. It was the big elephant in the room. Neither of them had talked about it. Neither of them would make the first move. Emma knew Regina wouldn't, so she had to.**

**"Hello?" Regina answered.**

**"Hi, Regina," Emma began, suddenly blushing, and she wasn't sure why.**

**"Ms. Swan," Regina greeted.**

**"Emma," She corrected.**

**"Right, Emma. Did Henry say yes?" Regina asked.**

**"Yeah...so you can pick him up from school," Emma replied quickly.**

**"Great. Thank you," Regina said, sounding sincere.**

**"Oh- Regina," Emma said hurriedly, before Regina hung up, "We...we need to talk later."**

**"We can talk now...we are on the phone together," Regina reminded her.**

**"Yeah. I know...but I'd like to talk in person," Emma explained.**

**"Well alright. If you pick Henry up this evening we can talk," Regina reasoned.**

**"I don't know if it's best for Henry to be there while we are talking," Emma said nervously.**

**"And taking a boy from his mother is best? Since you have SO many opinions on what is best for my son, I think we need to have this conversation soon. Don't you?" Regina asked angrily.**

**"First of all- yes I do have a lot of opinions on what is best for Henry, because he's MY son, too," Emma replied, just as fiercely, **

**"And second of all- I don't know what is going on with his custody because I don't know what is going on with us!" Emma screamed. Regina was taken aback by that. There was an 'us' now? **

**"I will see you this evening around 5pm and when you come to pick up Henry we can talk," Regina said, putting her politician voice on. **

**Emma grimaced as she heard the dial tone, alerting her that the other line had hung up. Her heart ached a little and she just didn't know why. Was it because she and Regina had fought? Was it because of what they fought over? Was it because of Henry? Or was it something entirely different? Emma didn't know, and it pained her to feel like this, and to know that she was causing so much harm, when all she wanted was to make this better.**

**.oOo.**

* * *

**"So what are we having for lunch?" Regina asked.**

**"Hmm...grilled cheese?" Henry suggested.**

**"Sounds perfect," Regina said with a gentle smile. She pulled out a pan and sprayed it, as Henry pulled up a chair.**

**"So how's school going?" Regina asked casually, as she placed the bread in the pan.**

**"It's good. Mary Margaret did this cool science experiment with us! We took magnifying glasses outside and burned holes in leaves. You focus the sunlight through the glass," Henry explained, rambling on. Regina smiled with joy as she cooked their lunches. She was just ecstatic that Henry was so happy with school, even with everything going on. **

**"So Ms. Blanchard is a good teacher?" Regina asked, placing a plate in front of him. **

**"Thanks!" He said when she gave him a glass of milk, "And yeah she's the best! And she tells good stories at home," Henry explained. **

**"That's good," Regina said. She felt a pain, and a rush of cold go through her because she was being replaced in her son's life by the people she hated the most.**

**Henry didn't notice her sadness and continued, "But they're not as good as yours were," He said with a shrug, munching on his sandwich. She sat down next to him with her sandwich.**

**"Really?" Regina asked, feeling the warmth return to skin. She smiled gently.**

**"Oh yeah, by far," He nodded, taking a sip of milk, "Maybe...will you tell me a story later?"**

**"I would love to," Regina said with a smile. They made casual conversation as they continued to eat. When they were done, Henry took the dishes and put them in the sink. They went into the living room and sat on the floor. While this was something Regina was usually never did, she sat on the carpet to play with her son, because she wasn't sure how much time she would be getting with him.**

**They played some board games, and few games of Go Fish. It was nearing the time when Emma would be arriving.**

**"Emma's gonna be here soon...Do you want to hear that story now?" Regina asked.**

**"Yes!" Henry nodded excitedly. So they walked together to the living room and sat on the couch next to each other. **

**"So what story do you want to hear?" Regina asked.**

**"Something that makes you smile," Henry said with a soft smile, hoping that a happy thoughts would trigger more good memories for his mother.**

**"Ok..I have a good one for you," Regina said with a grin, "Once upon a time, in a land not**

**so unlike ours, there was a lonely woman. She-" Regina began, but was cut off by the doorbell.**

**"I'll get it...It's probably your mother," Regina said frowning. She stood and started towards the door.**

**"Wait," He said, stopping Regina right in her tracks. She turned slowly to face Henry.**

**"What's wrong?" She asked.**

**'You're my mom..." he said quietly, "And I know I haven't been the best son lately...but it's mostly because I was scared. And confused. And I didn't know who to trust. You're trying to be good, but they say you'll never change...You say you'll be friends with Emma, but then you guys fight. I just wasn't sure what I was supposed to do," Henry confessed, tears forming.**

**"Hey, hey, shh. No tears, sweetheart," Regina told him though there were tears in her own eyes. She bent down to his level, and put her hands on his shoulders, "You shouldn't have to know what to do. She's your m-mom," Regina stuttered. "And it's... it's okay to love her, too." Regina said forcing a smile.**

**Henry shook his head furiously, wiping the tears from his eyes, "She's not though. She's so good to me and I love her. But she's not my mom. She's not you. I want you both...but it seems like I can't have that," Henry explained, beginning to cry again.**

**Regina didn't know how to respond, so she wrapped her arms around Henry tightly, kissing the top of his head.**

**"Henry, it's all going to be okay," Regina promised, as the doorbell rang again, "Don't worry." They both stood, wiping their eyes, and Regina walked to the door. Putting on a brave smile, she opened the door.**

**"Emma," Regina said, "Come in." Regina opened the door more so that Emma could enter, which she did a little reluctantly.**

**"Emma!" Henry said rushing towards her, but not for a hug like Emma expected.**

**"Hey, kid," Emma greeted, slightly confused.**

**"Mom was just about to tell a story! Can I pleaaaaase stay a little longer and hear?" Henry begged.**

**"Uh, yeah sure. Me and your uh, me and Regina have to talk after anyways," Emma said, disappointed that Henry wasn't all that excited to see her, but wanted to stay with Regina longer.**

**"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Henry exclaimed, running back into the living room.**

**"Alright...I'll just-" Emma began, turning to leave.**

**"You're welcome to hear the story if you'd like," Regina offered.**

**"Uh, I don't know..." Emma began.**

**"C'mon, Emma. Don't be such a spoil sport!" Henry whined from the other room.**

**"Henry," Regina scolded.**

**"Sorry. But seriously," Henry said with a shrug.**

**"Sure," Emma said, reluctant once again. She walked into the living room and sat on the left of Henry, and Regina sat on the right.**  
**"Start over, please...so Emma can hear the beginning," Henry requested.**

**"Of course," Regina said, clearing her throat. She closed her eyes for minute, as if picturing the scene, and then continued, "Once upon a time, in a land not** **so unlike ours, there was a lonely queen She had lived alone for most of her life, and she was always terribly sad," Regina began.**

**"Mom, is this gonna be a happy story?" Henry asked.**

**"Shh, you'll never find out if you interrupt me," Regina reminded him. He grinned sheepishly and nodded for her to continue. **

**"Anyways, this woman made a wish on her birthday every year that she had been alone. She wanted nothing more than to have someone, for once. To not spend her birthday alone," Regina explained.**

**Emma's ears perked up at this point, because this story sounded familiar. She herself had made a similar wish every year on her birthday since Neal had left. But how could Regina have known?**

**"And one year, her wish came true. As she made her birthday wish, she was summoned by one of the nurses in her castle. They told her that though she would not be able to have children herself, she would be able to adopt a little boy. And so the boy came to her castle and she raised him. She was finally able to spend her birthdays with someone. This queen was very happy with her life as it was," Regina continued.**

**Emma had known immediately that this wasn't just a 'story' but a reflection of Regina and Henry's life together, but she didn't know if Henry had caught on.**

**"Then, one day, a princess came to the kingdom who could potentially ruin the queen and her son's happiness," Regina stated coldly.**

**Emma felt the chill come from her words, and bit her lip, staring at her hands that were in her lap.**

**"The queen and the princess hated each other because their opinions and decisions often collided and caused damage for one another. Though the queen despised the princess very much, she couldn't help but care about her a little. After all, their common interest was in ensuring that the queen's son was safe and happy. And as angry as the princess made her, the queen grew fonder and fonder of the young woman. And though they still had a lot to work out, they were making progress. And that would make all the difference for not only the Queen's son, but for the queen's and princess' happiness as well," Regina finished, with a glimmer in her eye.**

**Henry raised an eyebrow suspiciously, "That's the ending? That was the whole story?" He asked.**

**"Well...yeah. The story isn't really over yet," Regina said.**

**"That wasn't about any old queen and her son. And princess. That was about you and me and Emma," Henry said matter of factly.**

**"What?" Regina feigned confusion, "What are you talking about?"**

**"Mom. I'm almost twelve. And I'm not stupid. And plus I've been hearing your stories for a long time. And that didn't sound like a usual one," He said with a shrug.**

**"You didn't want a usual one," She reminded him.**

**"So do you really like Emma? This isn't just a trick? You're going to be friends?" Henry asked. Regina turned to Emma, who hadn't said a word since the story had started. Regina caught Emma, and made eye contact with her. **

**"I really like her," Regina said with a wink. Her eyes seemed to sparkle. **

**"Really?" Henry asked, elated.**

**"Really," Regina said, still not breaking eye contact with Emma.**

**"Wait..." Henry said slowly, "Why aren't you talking?" He asked Emma, "Is there something going on?" **

**"No. There isn't," Emma said, standing up, "Are you ready to go?" She began to walk away, not waiting for Henry to follow her.**

**"Emma, wait," Regina said, standing up quickly, "Stay here for a sec," She told Henry, and followed Emma into the front of the house, where Emma was ready to bolt.**

**"Emma," Regina said, putting her hand on her shoulder, "Why are you running? I told you last night. Whatever 'this' is, I mean it. And I'm ready. And you said you meant it too. So why are you running from me?" Regina asked sadly.**

**"Because I didn't think it was real. And you just told Henry. You just told our son. And that makes it real," Emma said, "And when things get real, I run. That's how it's been since Henry's dad uhm...that's how I've been for a long time," Emma explained, suddenly feeling hot tears pricking her eyes. **

**"This is real Emma. I'm sorry that I didn't ask you if I could tell him...I just thought after yesterday..."Regina's voice trailed away.**

**"No you don't have to be sorry. I am," Emma said, looking down.**

**"Do you trust me?" Regina asked.**

**"I don't know," Emma admitted.**

**"For this to work, for us to work, for Henry to be happy and have both of his parents, you have to trust me," Regina requested. **

**"I'll try," Emma said, nodding slowly. Regina stepped closer to Emma, so that their noses were practically touching. She wrapped her arms around Emma's neck, and her gasp.**

**"I'm going to kiss you now," Regina told her. She closed her eyes and kissed Emma gently on the lips. It was soft and sweet. She was trying hard to convey that Emma could trust her, through the kiss. **

**"Oh wow!" Henry exclaimed, covering his eyes quickly and turning away, as he walked in the room, seeing his mothers kissing.**

**"Oh shit," Emma hissed, breaking apart.**

**"No no. Sorry...don't let me interrupt you. I'm just gonna get my backpack," Henry said scurrying off quickly into the kitchen.**

**"Thank you," Regina murmured, pressing her lips to Emma's again. Emma felt Regina smile against her lips. Regina held her close once more before letting her go.**

**"Ready, Henry?" Emma called.**

**"Yes," Henry said nodding with a smile. He hugged Regina tightly.**

**"Bye mom! Thank you for lunch. I had a really good time...maybe we can do this again?" He asked.**

**"Definitely," Regina said with a grin. She kissed Henry's cheek.**

**"Goodbye, Emma," Regina murmured.**

**"Bye," Emma said quickly, and followed Henry out the door. Emma felt terrible. She felt guilty and she felt sad. Emma was being manipulative. Emma was being a liar. Emma was acting like Regina used to act. But now Regina was turning into the better person. So what did that make Emma? She was using Regina's moment of weakness to make her son happy. So it wasn't ALL bad...just mostly. It was mostly bad because Regina thought Emma loved her. And Emma did care about Regina, but her motive at this moment was dedicated to Henry, and not to her feelings or Regina's.**

**"Was it weird that I kissed your mom?" Emma asked Henry as they drove home.**

**"A little, but it's okay," He admitted.**

**"Why is it okay?" Emma asked curiously.**

**"Because you make her happy...does she make you happy?" He asked.**

**"Yeah, she does," Emma said with a smile. Regina did make her happy, but she wasn't in love with her. Or at least that was what she was telling herself.**

**"Good. Then that's all that matters," He said with a shrug.**

**"I need you to do me a favor," Emma asked.**

**"Anything," Henry said.**

**"You can't tell David and Mary Margaret about the kiss, or me and your mom at all. They would kill her...they would kill ME if they found out. They're my parents and your mom is their rival, like it or not...it just wouldn't end well. Promise me?" Emma asked.**

**"I promise," Henry vowed, his face showed grave seriousness.**

**"Good," Emma said with a smile, and they drove home in their comfortable silence, with the radio playing quietly.**

**.oOo.**

* * *

**"Emma are you sure this is safe?" Mary Margaret asked. She had asked that question about a hundred times, just beating out David, who had probably asked ninety-nine.**

**"Oh my god. Will you guys calm down. I'm going over to discuss this dumb custody situation with Regina, and then I'm taking the night shift of patrols so that I can spend tomorrow with Henry," Emma lied. She was going to discuss the custody agreement with Regina, because she and Henry had left after the story the other night. Emma didn't want to ruin the kiss she had shared with Regina by fighting about their custody agreement. And she did want to spend the day with Henry. But she wouldn't be patrolling. She would be on a 'date' with Regina. Well, Regina had used the word date, and Emma had gone along, for the sake of the ruse of course.**

**"Alright, Emma," David agreed reluctantly.**

**"Bye, mom. Have a nice time. Don't be too rough to each other," Henry said with a wink. Emma bent over and hugged Henry.**

**"You're gross," Emma whispered in his ear, "We will not be doing...that," she hissed, before standing up. He just smirked.**

**"Be good. Eat your veggies. Go to bed at a decent hour," Emma listed, "Was that motherly enough?"**

**"Perfect," Henry said facetiously. **

**"Wow thanks so much," Emma said with sarcasm, "Good bye," she said again, and with that, took her purse and went out the door. She walked down the stairs of the apartment building quickly, and walked the short way to the station, where her Bug was parked. She popped open the trunk, and grabbed a bag that was in the back. She walked into the sheriff's station, locked the door, and closed the windows.**

**When she was sure the area was secure, she pulled out the hidden material from her bag: a tight white dress, black pumps, and a makeup bag. She couldn't go on a date with the Queen looking like slob, as she did presently, in her jeans and long sleeved shirt. **

**She quickly changed, realizing she only had a few minutes. She pulled her hair out of its pony tail and shook it out. Perfume, some light eye make up, and dark contrasting red lipstick, and she was ready to go. She put her jeans in the bag and unlocked the door. She walked out to her car and opened the trunk again, placing the bag inside. As she shut the trunk, she was startled by a voice behind her.**

**"You're looking lovely this evening, Ms. Swan." Emma jumped around, to see Rumplestilskin standing behind her, leaning on his cane.**

**"Gold!" Emma said, the hair on her neck rising up, as a rush of cold came over her.**

**"What are you doing out this evening, all dressed up like this?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.**

**"I could ask you the same," Emma said, keeping her guard up.**

**"No need to get defensive, Ms. Swan, I was simply making conversation. I'm just taking an evening stroll in the pleasant weather," He said with a shrug. Emma was still suspicious.**

**"I'm meeting with Regina to discuss Henry, if you must know," Emma explained.**

**"All dressed up?" He asked.**

**"I'm going out with Ruby, if you must know," Emma snarled. She paused, wondering if he'd call her bluff.**

**"My apologies, Ms. Swan. I didn't mean to anger you. Have a good evening," Gold said curiously, and walked away.**

**"What the fuck," Emma murmured, as she got into her car. As she drove to Regina's, she called Ruby, explaining the situation, and asking Ruby to cover for her. Ruby had gladly agreed, happy to hear that Emma was going on a date, even though she didn't want to say who it was. Emma couldn't say it was Regina. Not just yet. It was way too soon for that.**

**.oOo.**

* * *

**Emma rang Regina's doorbell, biting her lip. It was only a little bit after eight, but as Regina was a stickler for punctuality, she didn't know what to expect. Regina opened the door after a few moments.**

**"Nice of you to show up," Regina said, but stopped her rant when she saw Emma.**

**"I'm sorry I'm late. We had a situation. I ran into Gold on my way here and..." Emma's voice trailed away as her frown changed to a grin as she realized what Regina was doing.**

**"Are you checking me out?" Emma asked, raising a brow.**

**"What? No. Of course not," Regina said, "Are you going to come in?" She asked impatiently. Emma chuckled at Regina. She had definitely been checking her out.**

**"Yes," Emma agreed. **

**They walked into the kitchen.**

**"Wine?" Regina offered.**

**"Please," Emma said with a smile. Regina poured two glasses of red wine and sat down with Emma. They made small talk and pleasant conversation. Emma explained the ruse that she was using with her parents. Then Regina served them dinner. As they ate, they talked about numerous other things. Emma told Regina about her strange encounter with Gold, that had Regina slightly worried, but she wouldn't let it show.**

**"Oh, so I asked Henry if you and me dating was weird," Emma said, as Regina sipped her wine.**

**"Oh? What did he say?" She asked.**

**"It was weird. But it was okay," Emma explained.**

**"Why?" She asked.**

**"Because he said that if I make you happy, and you make me happy, it makes him happy."**

**"Do I make you happy?" Regina asked quietly.**

**"The happiest I've ever been," Emma admitted quietly. Surprisingly, this was not a lie. Emma was truly happy when she was with Regina. Maybe she wasn't just doing this for Henry...maybe she had a bit of a crush on Regina. Maybe.**

**Emma watched Regina stand and walk over to a tall cabinet, where she reached up to grab the second bottle of wine, she stared. Regina was wearing a dark crimson dress that hugged each of her supple curves perfectly.**

**"Wow," Emma murmured.**

**"Hmm?" Regina asked turning to see Emma.**

**"You look amazing," Emma admitted. Woah- heat of the moment comment, Emma, Emma thought, trying to convince herself that she hadn't meant it. **

**"No, Emma...you do," Regina murmured huskily. Emma smiled, trying to brush it off, pretending the compliment hadn't meant anything, but God, she would be surprised if her cheeks didn't have a bit of flush, because she sure felt a heat rush over her body. Arousal? From Regina? Couldn't be...**

**But suddenly, Emma was being driven a force that she was no longer control of, and that was her lust for Regina.**

**"So, I made some dessert if you want," Regina began as Emma walked closer to her.**

**"Looks perfect," Emma murmured, but she wasn't talking about the dessert. Before Regina knew it, Emma's lips were on hers, kissing fervently and passionately.**

**"Emma...I thought...we needed to... talk about...Oh Goooooooood," Regina spoke between kisses as Emma made her way to Regina's neck, ending with a loud moan.**

**"Shh...later," Emma told her, silencing her with more kisses. Suddenly, Emma had a moment of clarity, as they broke apart for air.**

**"Is this rushing it?" Emma asked.**

**"A little," Regina admitted. Emma waited to kiss Regina, "Do you not want to do this?" She asked.**

**"No I do," Regina nodded.**

**"You sure?" Emma asked.**

**"So sure," Regina nodded.**

**"Then let's go to your bedroom because I want to do this properly," Emma requested.**

**"Why?" Regina asked.**

**"Because this isn't a fling. I told you I meant it," Emma explained. So Regina took Emma's hand and led her upstairs to her room. **

**Once they had shut the door, Emma took Regina's lips in her own again, eliciting another moan from Regina. Without breaking the kiss for too long, Emma helped Regina remove her shirt, and then did the same for her own. Emma pushed Regina gently down on the bed, unzipping her pants, and slowly pulling them off.**

**Emma paused to admire the Queen's form. Emma bit her lip, as she studied each curve and inch of flawless, olive skin. She was determined to worship it all tonight.**

**"What?" Regina asked quietly, with a raised eyebrow. Anyone else studying her this intently wouldn't have bothered her, wouldn't have even phased her, but for some reason, Emma looking her over, made her almost self conscious- nervous, even.**

**"You're just so...beautiful," Emma murmured, almost at a loss for words. Even though she knew that Emma wanted to make love to her, Regina was fearful. She hadn't made love to someone, since Daniel. Her nights with King Leopold had been anything but loving. She flips them over, so that she now on the top. Regina placed a tentative kiss on Emma's chest, just above her bra. Regina looked up, catching Emma's eyes, for one last silent permission to be granted, which Emma did.**

**Regina unhooked Emma's bra, gently discarding it on the floor. They helped rid each other of their clothes. It was not rushed or lust filled anymore. It was careful and almost loving. Almost.**

**She began placing hot, opened mouthed kisses all over every inch of Emma's body. This wasn't going to be 'fucking', Regina had decided. This would be lovemaking, and she intended to do it right. There had been plenty of times before when Regina had been treated with less than decency, and she wouldn't do that to the younger woman. Emma deserved so much more than that. Little did she know, that Emma had a fear in the pit of her stomach about what Regina would do, because of her own less than decent past.**

**Regina placed kisses down Emma's taut stomach, grinning when Emma moaned again, beginning to writhe underneath her. Finally, Regina's mouth reached the desired point, Emma's hot center. She blew gently on the silk covered 'V'. **

**"Regina," Emma groaned.**

**"Shh," Regina murmured, pulling the panties off gently. She dipped her tongue in cautiously. Emma was surprised by the uncharacteristic gentleness of Regina's actions. When she heard Regina moan of approval, she continued, sucking on the small nub. She inserted two fingers gently, and increased her speed.**

**"Oh Jesus!" Emma exclaimed. Regina grinned and continued, feeling her walls begin to close around her.**

**"Let go, Emma," Regina requested sweetly, and when Emma did, it was like their world had exploded. Emma was seeing stars.**

**When Regina brought herself back to Emma's lips for a soft kiss, she saw a single tear in Emma's eye. She didn't say anything, but instead, kissed it away.**

**"Thank you," Emma murmured, but she was nowhere near done. She kissed Regina gently and rolled them over. Now she was in charge.**

**She saw the fear in Regina's eyes, causing Regina to look away.**

**"Hey," Emma whispered, making Regina look at her, "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise," Emma vowed, "Trust me."**

**"I do," Regina whispered back, nodding.**

**"Good," Emma replied. She kissed Regina again, and went on to make sweet love to Regina. No one had ever treated Regina with the amount of kindness and care and love as Emma had. Not even Daniel.**

**"Why are you so kind to me? Everyone else hates me," Regina murmured when they had finished. Emma's arms were wrapped around her tightly and protectively.**

**"Because this isn't a fling. This is real," Emma murmured. She pulled Regina closer, and nuzzled into her neck, both of them falling asleep.**

.oOo.

* * *

**"You said you trusted me!" Regina screamed.**

**"I saw you kill him Regina!" Emma fought back.**

**"If you take all your evidence from the memory of a DOG, well, the sheriff station's credibility will go to hell!" Regina spat.**

**"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?" Emma cried out.**

**"Believe ME. Trust ME. Love ME!" Regina screamed.**

**"I want to Regina...I do...but I can't change what I saw," Emma said quietly, turning away. She heard footsteps walking away.**

**"Where are you going?" Emma yelled.**

**"I-I can't do this anymore," Regina said her voice cracking. "I will NEVER be able to change if there is no one here to believe I can... I-I'm better off alone. Always have been..." Regina whispered bitterly. "I'm leaving. Forget you ever met me. It's best for you...and Henry," Regina said quietly, walking away. **

**Emma was broken. Something that had started as a ruse had turned into something amazing, and it was so quickly destroyed. **

* * *

**PRESENT**

"God damnit," Emma swore. She hadn't even told Regina that she loved her. And she hadn't been planning on it, because at the beginning of all of this, she hadn't. But when she arrived to Regina's house for their date, it had hit her. She _did_ love her.

"I have to find her," Emma murmured, standing up. She had to find Regina and tell her the truth. Tell her she trusted her. That she believed her. That she loved her.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: OKAY SO IM SUPER SORRY FOR THE WAIT GUYS! I actually had this chapter started before Kaitlin even posted hers and then I kinda sorta fell head first back into my Star Wars fandom and it has consumed every waking moment of my time practically! So anyways! ON WITH THE STORY! 3 Keep the reviews coming because we love them so much it's unreal! 3**_

* * *

Regina lay on the beach chair watching the sun set over the ocean. She closed her book as she sighed. She was lonely and she was restless. Her first thought was to practice her magic. But she'd chosen not to. It would be too easy to fall back into the crutch she'd so depended on. She listened to the whistling of the wind through the palm trees, thinking of her son and if she would ever see him again. Then she thought of Emma and how confused and betrayed she must be feeling.

"Beaches Regina? Really?" A woman's voice came from behind her.

Regina felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She set _Atonement_ down slowly onto the white sand next to her. She kept her back to Cora as she mentally prepared herself for the battle of her life.

"Hello mother," She said calmly, still not moving from her seat on the sand.

"It's been over 30 years Regina, the least you could do is give your mother a hug," Cora said sweetly.

"Why? You've done nothing but ruin my life. I think a hug is a little optimistic don't you?" Regina said sassily, plastering a bitter smile on her face as she slowly stood up from her beach chair, her see through bathing suit cover-up fluttering in the wind.

"Ruin it? I'm helping you darling, you appear to have gone soft in your beloved Storybrooke," Cora said laughing.

Regina felt her blood boil as her mother insulted her, yet again.

"What. Do. You… Want?" Regina said through gritted teeth, crossing her arms. The sun was going down on the horizon and the waves were lapping at her feet.

"Oh me? I only want to help you darling," Cora said feigning innocence.

"That line won't work anymore mother, pick a new one." Regina said snidely, advancing on her mother.

"Regina. What are you doing?" Cora said condescendingly, noticing Regina's offensive stance.

"I'm going to get back my life from you," Regina whispered, mere inches from her mother's face. She felt her confidence rising, along with her bitch mode activating; she would not let her mother win again... ever.

"Oh, really? You're going to kill me? You didn't have the guts to do it then, and you don't now," Cora laughed, clearly amused.

Regina hissed at the mention of her past, "I didn't kill you then, but back then I had nothing to live for. You've destroyed everything_**, everything**_," she repeated her voice rising, "I loved. You will not get me back on your side. Ever." She spat.

"So this is your decision?" Cora asked.

Regina squared up tall, remembering those words like she'd just heard them yesterday. The words right before Cora had killed the love of her life. This was it. The beginning of the end, the final battle.

"Yes. I will destroy you. I don't care if it kills me. You will not get anywhere near my family," Regina said advancing on her mother, making her walk backwards on the sand.

Cora side stepped her and changed directions, so that the ocean was on the one side of them, darkness and clouds gathering overhead.

" Family? Who the son who ran from you in order to find his birth mother? The one who wanted nothing to do with you when he discovered who you really are? He's not your family, Regina. Family is blood, and that's me. I'm all you have darling. Child, you can't defeat me... Not if you expect to live," Cora said, still bemused at her daughters apparent arrogance.

"I don't. But if I'm going, I'm going to take you down with me." Regina snarled. She thrust her hand into Cora's chest, reaching for her heart. But there was none…

Regina looked up at her mother in surprise, before a cunning smile overtook her features.

"I should have known. I always knew you had no heart." Regina said slyly.

"Oh I have one, but I'm the **Queen** of Hearts. You really believe I would be foolish enough to put it in such a delicate place? No, no… My heart? It's inside you, sweetheart. We are one," Cora said quietly, her face clearly enjoying this new revelation.

Regina dropped her hand in shock, clutching her chest, hand gripping the strap of her royal blue triangle top.

"Wh-what?" She stammered in horror.

"I told you Regina, you can't kill me without killing yourself," Cora chuckled darkly.

Regina spun around, jaw dropping in realization and horror.

"Yo—you did this on purpose?" She whispered, back turned.

"When you were just a baby," Cora explained nonchalantly. "Why do you think you still loved me even after everything I supposedly did to you? Why do you think I always had a special place in your soul even when you hated me?"

Regina felt her face freeze into blatant contempt before steeling herself and giving a spinning back fist to Cora's jaw. She grinned as her mother was flung to the ground.

"See? Magic isn't always power Mother," Regina smirked at the shocked look on Cora's face. "Didn't see that one coming did you?"

"Why you insolent, rotten bitch!" Cora yelled pulling herself up off the sand. Regina braced herself for her mother's retaliation.

Cora waved a flick of her wrist, sending a jet of yellow light for Regina. Regina caught it one handedly, smiling.

"You're gonna have to do better than that," She taunted, throwing the spell back at her mother.

Cora dodged it and swirled around, sending a green lightning bolt down from the black clouds that had covered the night sky. Lightning flashed over the ocean, lighting up the windy beach.

Regina crossed her arms above her head, creating a shielding spell.

"Oh, Regina, you have so much potential. Why are you being so ungrateful?" Cora asked, exasperated as Regina held the shield spell around her, already panting, the force of the lightning powerful enough to cause physical exertion in order to maintain the spell.

"Because. You are nothing but a power hungry bitch, who nobody ever loved. You are incapable of loving anyone. You can say all you want, that this is all because you love me but it's not!" Regina called out to her mother over the rumbling of the thunder. "You don't love me, because you never learned what true love really is!"

Cora sighed, as Regina sent a bolt of pink magic right for her, easily deflecting it with one hand.

"Regina, love, you're trying my patience." Cora said, annoyed.

Regina, breathing heavily, sent an immobilization spell at her mother at the exact moment that Cora sent an evil looking, red hot spell at her. The spells clashed in mid air, entangled before continuing on to their intended targets faster than expected. Regina yelped as her barrier spell fell, and she felt herself go flying in the air a searing sensation spreading across her chest.

She landed on her back, legs askew and gasping. She clutched at her chest and felt blood. She lifted her head and let out a cry of pain as the spell sliced through her flesh. A giant gash starting on her right shoulder, diagonally spread across her breastbone and ended at the bottom of her ribcage, Regina shrieked in pain, writhing on the sand.

Cora stood yards away from her, immobilized. Regina concentrated all of her efforts on holding the spell. Cora was powerful but so was she…

* * *

"Regina?" Emma called, running through the trees and brush that surrounded the small cabin she'd traced Regina's phone to. No answer. "Regina?" She called out again.

She ran around the cabin towards the beach where she a faint blue glow. She ran onto the white sand and looked on in horror as she saw Cora standing, frozen on the beach front.

"Regina?" She yelled. She heard a faint cry and looked to her right. Down the beach she saw a figure lying in the sand.

"Regina!" She screamed, running over to the woman. She covered her mouth at the sight of Regina's body. She was wearing a royal blue bikini with a sky blue cover-up, muddy, and slashed in various places. Her legs were bent in unnatural positions, one of them clearly broken, and her chest was soaked in blood.

"Regina! No, no, no no…." she moaned as she knelt down next to Regina. She ripped of her t-shirt to attempt to stop the bleeding.

"Emma?" Regina asked, her voice raspy.

"Yeah, yeah it's me," Emma said urgently, tears stinging her eyes.

"Yo—you have to kill Cora," Regina said, struggling to speak.

"How?!" Emma cried, willing her tears not to fall, trying to be brave. She saw Regina's hand lifted slightly, magic radiating from her palm.

"Her heart… You have to crush it…." Regina said, blinking slowly. Her gorgeous brown eyes seemed glazed in pain.

Emma nodded, preparing to stand up when Regina's free hand gripped her arm.

"No… it's i-in here," Regina croaked, smiling sadly.

"Wh-what?" Emma asked, horrified.

"Sh-she hid it ins-inside me," Regina stammered. "Hurry, I don't know how l-long I can hold the spell…" Regina said tiredly.

"No, no! Regina, I can't! I don't kn—" Emma protested.

"Yes. You can… You have magic," Regina said, stroking Emma's face with her blood stained hand.

Emma grabbed her hand, "How? How do I take her heart?" She asked, voice barely audible.

"You just," Regina guided her hand to her chest, "Feel the heart beating? Just picture your hand passing through the sand," Regina panted. Emma nodded, face grim with determination. She removed her bloody shirt from Regina's chest as she placed her hand over Regina's breast and closed her eyes, envisioning her hand just sliding through. Within seconds she felt a warm heat on her and felt a rapid beating against her palm. Grimacing, she gently wrapped her fingers around the heart.

Regina groaned in pain as Emma began to pull, and slowly she pulled out the heart. She gasped in shock as she saw what lay in her hand.

"Oh my god… Regina!" Emma cried. In her palm lay a heart, actually more like two. One heart red and glowing, the other heart smaller, blackened and sticky. "Th-they're connected! Wh-what am I supposed to do?" Emma asked in despair. She couldn't crush Regina's heart!

"Cr-crush them," Regina whispered, looking Emma in the eye.

"N-no, no! No! I won't! I'm not crushing your heart! Henry and me need you!" Emma yelled, tears beginning to fall.

"It's the easiest way," Regina said closing her eyes, hand weakly still lifted holding onto the immobilization spell while Cora struggled against it feebly across the beach.

"No! REGINA!" Emma cried, shaking Regina's shoulder. "Don't do this! Don't make me do this! Y-you said it's the easiest way…. That means there's another way?" Emma asked, her voice cracking.

Regina nodded, her brown hair plastered to her face with sweat. She felt like she was being sliced open for surgery completely awake, unable to move. She felt her energy draining by the second, as she concentrated all of her conscious effort in holding onto the immobilization spell.

"TELL ME!" Emma cried desperately.

Regina swallowed, "You have—you have to rr-rip them apart and crush hers."

Emma's face went white. "R-rip them?" she croaked.

Regina nodded weakly, "Emma hurry, I don't think I can hol—" Regina began, trailing off as her eyes fluttered shut.

"REGINA!" Emma screamed, Regina murmured in response, "Just lemme go... if I—if I die, so will she…" Emma gripped the heart in both hands, wincing as she began to tear the two hearts apart.

The instant she started to tear the glowing muscle Regina let out an inhuman sounding shriek of pain, causing Emma to drop the hearts on Regina's exposed stomach.

"Regina? Regina!" She cried, horrified. "I can't do it! I can't!" She sobbed.

She felt a gritty hand squeeze her arm. "Then crush th-them," Regina gasped, pain so intense she couldn't bring herself to remember how to breathe. Emma gripped her hand in response. She took a deep breath steeling herself for what she was about to do. She couldn't let Regina go now, not after everything they'd been through. Not when Henry was depending on her to bring Regina back so they could finally be a real family...

She picked up the hearts again, "I'm sorry, Regina." She whispered and she tore the hearts apart with all of her strength. Regina's screams and shrieks were going to emotionally scar her as she watched Regina's body contort and writhe in pain on the blood soaked sand. Emma sobbed uncontrollably, grunting as she tore the remainder of the hearts apart.

Finally Regina's body relaxed and her screams subsided. Emma gripped the blackened heart of Cora's and squeezed as hard as she could, her hatred for the horrid woman giving her strength and determination. She felt the charred organ turn into silvery ash and grinned through her tears excitedly.

"I did it! Regina! I did it!" She cried happily as she gently stuck Regina's heart gently into her chest. She looked down at Regina who lay still in the sand, eyes wide open trying to speak. "Regina?" She whispered, face paling.

"I'm sorry Emma," she croaked. I don't think it wo-worked… Pr-promise me you'll do whatever it takes in your heart to le-leave me b-behind….

"NO! No, no! Don't you dare!" Emma said firmly, sniffling. "You're gonna be okay!" She said clutching Regina's shoulders gently. "Regina don't leave me!" She pleaded. "I need you! I don't know how to be a mom! I don't know what to do! I want—I need you! Please, please don't go!" she whispered stroking Regina's dark hair away from her forehead.

Regina thought calmly about how brave Emma was and how far this had gone from her plan, Until she saw her blue eyes cry and she held Emma's face in her hand. She felt how soft Emma's cheek felt against her sweaty palm and sighed, blinking back tears.

Regina smiled weakly, "Prom—mise me… You'll t-take care of our son," she whispered. Emma's face paled as she heard Regina's words, _our son._ "You'll read him Bedtime for Baby Star?" She rasped.

Emma shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Wh-what's that?"

Regina took a shallow, wheezing breath, ""O-once there was a b-baby star, he lived up near the sun. And every night at bedtime, that baby star wanted to have some f-fun. He would shine and shine and—"

"Regina! Shh—you need to… to save your strength!" Emma whispered, as Regina's bloody hand stroked the tears falling from her eyes. Emma looked around as the lightning cracked far off in the distance, the storm subsiding.

"… and fall and shoot and twinkle oh so bright." Regina continued, ignoring her protests. "An—and he said, "Mommy, I'll run away if you make me say goodnight." Regina whispered hoarsely, reciting the poem from memory like she'd done it a million times. Emma smiled weakly as Regina continued.

"A—and then his mommy kissed him on his sparkly nose and said, "No matter where you go, no matter where you are, no matter how big you grow and even if you stray far,'" Regina's voice cracked as tears slipped down her face, leaving clean tracks on her grimy pale skin. "I—I'll love you f-forever, because you'll always be," she wheezed. "Al-always be my baby star**.**" She finished in a sad whisper asher soft brown eyes fluttered closed and Emma let out a strangled scream.

"NO! NO! Regina!" She begged wrapping her arms around Regina's body, caked with blood and sand, clutching her for dear life. She didn't even notice the blood and gritty sand between their bare skin.

Emma pleaded softly for Regina to open her eyes, she wanted to see the fire in her chocolate eyes just like they used to be and then she whispered "How can you do this to me?"

After a few moments of uncontrollable sobbing she pulled away, placing Regina's lifeless battered body back onto the now not so white sand.

"I'm so sorry…" She said "I love you," as she kissed Regina's mouth. "Pl-please come back. I—I love you!" Emma whispered, tears sliding onto Regina's face.

"I love you…" she sobbed quietly, squeezing her eyes shut in hurt and sadness. She couldn't handle the thought of telling Henry she'd failed. She wasn't the savior. She couldn't save the one person who mattered the most to them now.

"I love you too," a voice quietly groaned from her arms. Emma opened her eyes slowly, sure this was a dream.

"R-Regina?" She asked in shock.

"You did it," Regina whispered, smiling up at Emma's tear stained face.

Emma chuckled, still crying, "No, Regina you did it. You got her, you finally got her." Emma said picking her up gently and holding her close.

Regina hugged her back weakly, tears streaming down her face in happiness.

"B-but how?" Regina asked.

"True loves kiss Reg," Emma said grinning. "It can break any curse, remember?" She said, brushing Regina's hair away from her face softly. "Now we can get you back and we can all be a family," Emma said happily.

"F-family?" Regina asked, her mother's words echoing in her mind.

"Yeah, a family. You, me, and Henry. We're a family, we always will be okay?" Emma said reassuringly, as Regina's face lit up.

"Now, can you move your legs?" Emma said, trying you adjust Regina's body gently. Her left leg was bent backwards at the knee and her shin bone was poking through.

"I—I don't know," Regina said wincing as she tried. "I don't think so. It's broken… You'll have to call an ambulance." Regina grimaced as she looked at the bone fragment sticking out. "Fucking Christ—" She swore in frustration.

"No, Regina that'll tale forever!" Emma protested. "My car is right out front, can you use magic to immobilize your leg?"

"You want me to use m-magic?" Regina asked in shock.

"Just until we get to the hospital." Emma said placatingly.

"But I promised Henry I wouldn't…" Regina said seriously.

"I'm pretty sure he would rather you be alive and safe than bleeding out on some beach in the middle of nowhere! How the hell did you find this place anyways?" Emma asked repositioning herself behind Regina so Regina could immobilize her leg.

"The internet, you wouldn't believe how much this rat hole cost either. At least the view was nice though," Regina hissed as she moved her leg around in front of her, before casting the spell.

"Well after we get you patched up, I think we'd better come back here for you to recuperate, okay?"

Regina gave her a faint smile, through the throbbing pain wracking her body, "Sounds great… Emma."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry this update is a little late from me... and by a little I mean ALOT. BUT ANYWAYS. Here I am and here's your new chapter. Once again, Kelsey and I are SOOO grateful for all the support for this story. And now, without further adieu: here's the new chapter! :)**

**A/N 2: Okay so this is Kelsey and its partially my fault this is so late because I'm an awful beta and I suck so yeah :P Kaitlin had this done a while ago and it took me a few days to finally get around to reading/betaing it so IM SORRY! Wont happen again, scouts honor!**

* * *

Emma was scouring the small apartment she shared with her parents and son, for her jacket. She grimaced as she realized it was hanging on the post of Henry's bed. She tiptoed in as quietly as she possibly could. However, even as she was trying so carefully not to wake up Henry, she stepped on one of Henry's stupid plastic toys.

"Shit," Emma cussed under her breath. With that, Henry's head shot up from under his navy blue comforter.

"I knew you weren't sleeping," Emma muttered.

"Where are you going Emma?!" Henry exclaimed, jumping out of his bed.

"Shh! If Mary Margaret or David hear me, I won't be able to get out without explaining. And I don't have the time to explain!" Emma hissed.

"Why?" Henry whined.

"Because your mother is in trouble," Emma said. But as she said it, she realized she should have been a little more gentle, but there was no time to be gentle. Emma had been retracing every step Regina had taken for the past few weeks to try and figure out where she had gone. After an incredible amount of snooping, making deals with Gold, and admittedly, a few nights of crying herself to sleep, Emma had found the place. It was a small beach house in Florida, only a few hours away by plane. Emma had chuckled to herself when she had found it.

"In trouble? Or she **_is_** the trouble?" Henry asked, raising an eyebrow. Emma sighed.

"Either she's in trouble," then she huffed, "Or she's going to be." Emma leaned over and kissed Henry's forehead.

"Be good for Mary Margaret and David. And when they ask you where I am, hold out as long as you can and then when they finally crack you- just say that I will call when I can and that everything is fine. Got it?" Emma asked as she bent down to tie her shoe.

"Yes," Henry nodded, "But Emma?"

"Yeah, kid?" Emma asked looking up at him.

"Is everything fine?" He wondered.

"Uh...not sure yet. Guess we'll find out," She murmured, "Now go back to bed."

"Okay...be careful, Emma," Henry begged, "And make sure mom is, too," he added.

"I will. I love you," Emma said giving Henry a soft smile. He started to make his way back into his room, but turned abruptly and ran back.

"Please help my mom," Henry begged.

"I will, kid," Emma vowed sincerely. With that, she exited the apartment with just a duffle bag, her cell phone and her gun. Not that she actually thought she could use a gun against Cora, but for some reason she felt a little bit safer with it.

.oOo.

* * *

When she had arrived at the house, something felt off. She picked up her gun, and entered the house slowly.

"Regina?" she called quietly. No response.

"Son of bitch," she muttered. It was quiet in the dark house. But when she reached the back porch and peered out, scanning her eyes across the beach, she saw the terrifying sight of Regina lying on the ground, covered in blood.

.oOo.

* * *

Emma shuddered, thinking about how Regina had looked, lying there practically lifeless on the ground.

"You scared the shit out of me," Emma told Regina, who was now lying in a hospital bed hooked up to an IV. The doctors couldn't explain many of the injuries and strange healing patterns, because those had been inflicted with magic. They would have Whale check them out when they returned to Storybrooke.

The doctors were also a little skeptical of Emma and Regina's explanation of the car accident that had given Regina her injuries, but they had ruled out abuse when they had seen Emma's genuine, terrified expression when she had brought Regina inside the hospital doors.

"I know I did," Regina said, her throat raspy, "And I'm sorry." Emma picked up Regina's hands and kissed her bruised knuckles gently. A few tears rolled down Regina's cheeks at the tenderness of Emma's actions.

"Hey, hey, hey...no tears," Emma told her. She gave Regina a smile, "You're okay. We're all okay. Cora is gone. You destroyed her."

"You helped," Regina reminded her.

"Ha... Yeah I guess I did," Emma mused. Emma picked up her phone, and saw 20 missed calls from her family, 5 from Ruby and a shit ton more from random numbers. "Shit, I have to call Mary Margaret and Henry," Emma muttered.

"Henry. Oh no... can I talk to him? I need to," Regina pleaded.

"Yeah, of course...let me just get yelled at by Mary Margaret first," Emma chuckled, and as if on cue, Mary Margaret picked up and the slew of scoldings began.

"Emma where the hell are you?!" Mary Margaret screamed.

"Yeah I'm fine thanks for asking," Emma bit back sarcastically.

"God we've all been so worried," Mary Margaret told her.

"I didn't say a word!" Henry called.

"Maybe you shouldn't be so proud of that while your grandmother is right there," Emma suggested, chuckling quietly at the little boy, "Listen, I'm with Regina right now. It's a really long story, but we'll be home in a few days..." Emma explained.

"With Regina? God Emma what have you gotten yourself into?" Mary Margaret muttered, and Emma knew she was probably rolling her eyes.

"Look, I don't want to have that conversation now. However, Regina would really like to talk to her son...so could you put Henry on please?" Emma asked impatiently.

Mary Margaret sighed, "Yup. One sec."

Emma handed Regina the phone.

"Hello?" Henry asked in a small voice.

"Hi baby," Regina said, her voice cracking as soon as she began to speak.

"Mommy... when are you coming home?" Henry asked. He sounded so young and so afraid right now.

"Really soon. I promise," Regina told him.

"I missed you alot," Henry admitted.

"God, I'm so sorry Henry. Really. The last thing I wanted to do was leave you," Regina said, holding back the tears.

"Then why did you?" He asked, sounding a little more hurt and angry.

"I did it to protect you, Henry," Regina said with a sigh, "And I know you may not understand that now...but in time you will. I couldn't let my mother get to you. She wanted me, and if I was near you, then she would take out anything and everything in her path to get to me. And that means it could've been you. So I had to leave town and draw her away from you. All of you," Regina explained, as simply as she knew how.

"I love you, Mom." Henry's response was simple but true, and showed that even though he didn't quite understand all that had happened, all was forgiven.

"I love you too, honey. Emma and I will be home soon," Regina said.

"Would you maybe... Maybe think about asking Emma if she wanted to, you know, move in with you and me...?" Henry asked tentatively.

"I think I will ask her, Henry," Regina said with a smile, "Right now as a matter of fact."

"Good! Alright I love you. Bye, Mom," Henry said and hung up.

"Ask me what?" Emma asked raising an eyebrow, as Regina handed her back the phone.

"Well...Henry was wondering if you maybe wanted to move in with us? I understand completely if that's moving too quickly! Or if it's too soon. There's no pressure! You don't have to if you don't want to, it's just that he really wants you to," Regina explained quickly.

"Just him?" Emma asked.

"Yes," Regina said nodding her head. Emma smiled, and leaned in close to Regina.

"You're so full of shit," Emma murmured with a grin, and kissed Regina.

"Okay so maybe I want you to as well," Regina grinned sheepishly, and Emma kissed her again.

"I'll take that as a yes then?" Regina asked.

"Yes," Emma said, and went in for another bruising kiss.

"Ahem," the doctor said, clearing his throat. Emma jumped back from Regina suddenly.

"Sorry to uh, interrupt," the doctor began awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot. "But, Ms. Mills is cleared to go, provided that she has someone to stay with for a while, until she heals and no longer needs to have her bandages changed..." The doctor explained.

"Yes, she definitely does have someone to be with," Emma said with a cheeky grin, giving Regina a wink.

"Great...I'll uh, get a nurse to bring in the discharge papers. Feel better, Ms. Mills," he said, and left the room.

"C'mere," Regina said, with a finger.

"Yeah?" Emma asked.

"Well, we were interrupted..." Regina reminded her.

"Oh right...now where were we?" Emma asked with a wink.

"Hmm...I think I remember," Regina said with a grin. She sat up a little and kissed Emma, who let out a soft moan. She was ready to go home and start her new life with Regina.

.oOo.

* * *

When they reached Regina's home a day later, they were surprised to be met by familiar faces- some smiling, some frowning. Mary Margaret, David and Henry were there, per Henry's request of course.

"Mom!" Henry exclaimed, when he saw Regina. He ran full speed towards her, but was intercepted by Emma.

"Careful, kid, you're mom got a little hurt. Just be gentle," she told him. He nodded quickly, knowing that without agreeing to those terms, Emma would not move. "Alright," Emma allowed, and Henry continued on to Regina at a more cautious pace.

"Can I hug you?" he asked Regina.

"You never ever have to ask me that. The answer will always be yes," Regina told him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her tightly.

"Oh God, Henry, I'm so sorry," Regina told him, and she shut her eyes as the tears fell.

"I am too, Mom. I'm sorry that I couldn't help you," Henry told her.  
"You shouldn't have had to feel like that was your problem, honey. This was my burden to bear, not yours," Regina said, with a saddened face.

"But I didn't help," Henry said, frowning, still refusing to let go of Regina, as if she would disappear if he did. "In my stories, and when people talk they think of you as the Evil Queen and I started thinking it, too. But you're not. Maybe you were to them, but to me you're just my mom, and that's all that matters," Henry admitted.

"I would never hurt you purposely," Regina told Henry, kissing the top of his head.

"I know. And I'm sorry that I thought you would," Henry said. Finally he let go of her. He hugged Emma tightly.

"I want to hear how you both you used magic to defeat Cora," Henry told them, grinning, "'Specially you, Emma. But I'm exhausted," Henry told them.

"Tomorrow, then," Emma said.

"C'mon, sweetheart, I'll take you up to bed," Regina told him. She took his hand and he helped her up the stairs.

"Emma," David said slowly.

"We need to-" Mary Margaret continued, but Emma cut her off.

"Look, maybe another time. It's been a long couple days. You two should probably just go," Emma said, not wanting to discuss her relationship with Regina any further with her parents at the moment.

"Emma just hear us out," Mary Margaret tried to start futilely.

"I'd rather not..." Emma admitted, biting her lip.

"Emma we just wanted to apologize," David cut in quickly, before Emma could refuse anymore.

"You wanted to what?" Emma asked confused.

"Apologize," Mary Margaret said with a sigh.

"For what?" Emma questioned again.

"We...we weren't...we didn't really..." David didn't know how to phrase what he was trying to say.

"We hated the thought of you and Regina being in a relationship. Any sort of relationship. We thought she was cruel, and cold, and evil," Mary Margaret explained. And before Emma could protest, she added, "But God, we were so wrong. That woman loves Henry, and will protect him with every fiber of being. And she loves you, and if she makes you happy, and you make her happy, then who the hell are we to judge you?"

"Thank you," Emma said as she took in all they had just told her. "I really appreciate that."

"But, just please... keep in mind that a relationship with Regina... well it won't be easy. She's capable of a lot of love, but she's very... fragile. And sometimes she can get in her own way of having that love," Mary Margaret said gently.

"We love you, Emma," David said, pulling her in for a hug, we she returned stiffly. She was still getting used to the whole 'parent' thing, and the large amount of touchy-feely affection that the Mary Margaret and David showed, she wasn't really a fan of.

"Love you, too," Emma said honestly, after he let her go.

"You guys get some rest. We'll talk to you later tomorrow," Mary Margaret said with a smile. She gave Emma a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, and the couple headed out the door.

Now that everything had been settled, Emma was finally ready to go to sleep. She changed into some sweatpants from her duffle bag, then headed upstairs. When she went to check on Henry, she noticed he wasn't in his room.

"Regina, have you seen-" Emma began, walking into Regina's master bedroom, but stopped when she saw the sight in front of her. Henry was cuddled into Regina's chest, both sound asleep, peacefully breathing steadily.

Emma climbed in behind Regina, and carefully took her into her arms. The electric spark and instant warmth she felt whenever she touched Regina would never get old. She nestled her chin into Regina's shoulder.

Emma had never really had a home. She had never understood what it was like to feel loved by a family. The only time she had felt this way was when she was with Neal, and even that was nothing compared to this.

"So this is what home feels like..." Emma murmured as she drifted off to a peaceful sleep.


End file.
